Sri Lanka has experienced a significant boost in tourist arrivals, with over 91,000 international visitors arriving in the first two weeks of August. This recent influx brings the year-to-date total closer to 1.3 million visitors.
According to provisional data from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, the island welcomed 91,634 tourists from August 1 to 14. The average weekly arrivals stand at approximately 45,000, and the daily average has risen to 6,500, up from 6,200 the previous month.
India continues to be the leading source of tourists, contributing 17.9 percent of the arrivals in August. The United Kingdom follows in third place, accounting for 11.7 percent, while China ranks third with 7.5 percent of the total arrivals. Other significant markets include Italy, France, Germany, and Spain.
Despite the positive trends in tourist arrivals, industry stakeholders are concerned about ongoing visa issuance challenges. The Supreme Court’s suspension of the VFS Global-led visa system has left Sri Lanka in need of a new visa issuance method. Currently, the country is providing visas on arrival as an interim solution.