Sri Lanka Tourism set to surpass 900,000 arrivals milestone

 - Pic by Shehan Gunasekara 

•  First 27 days of August welcome 123,285 tourists, pushing YTD to 891,198
•  August arrivals trend experienced hiccough in last two weeks with average daily dropping from 5,000 to 4,500
•  India remains single largest source market YTD and in August
•  Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau to unveil its Global Promotional Roadmap today

Anticipation is running high as Sri Lanka Tourism gears up to surpass the 900,000 arrivals milestone by tomorrow, coinciding with the craze of cricket enthusiasts gathering for the 16th Edition of the Asia Cup.  During the first 27 days of August, Sri Lanka welcomed 123,285 tourists, pushing the year-to-date (YTD) arrivals to 891,198. 

The surpassing of 900,000 arrivals signifies the largest influx of tourists to Sri Lanka in three years.

After experiencing robust growth with a daily average influx of over 5,000 visitors during the early weeks of August, the tourism arrivals landscape has shown a slight dip. The first week of August saw 35,775 tourists, followed by 37,890 in the second week, but this trend slowed down in the third and fourth weeks of the month to 29,347 and 20,273 respectively.

India remains the single largest source market in August and in the overall YTD perspective, whilst the UK, China, Germany, and Russia emerged as the top source markets during the first 27 days of August. Notably, China has shown remarkable progress in terms of YTD basis, highlighting the growing appeal of Sri Lanka’s offerings among Chinese travellers. 

Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) will also unveil its Global Promotional Roadmap today at the Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management (SLITHM). 

With a strong commitment to upholding high-quality services and attractions, Sri Lanka strategically positions itself to attract high-spending travellers, consequently boosting revenue generation. This focus on delivering exceptional experiences aligns with the broader vision of achieving sustainable growth within the tourism sector.