Tuesday Dec 02, 2025
Tuesday Dec 02, 2025
Tuesday, 2 December 2025 03:25 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
 |
| THASL President Asoka Hettigoda - Pic by Lasantha Kumara |
By Charumini de Silva
The Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) President Asoka Hettigoda yesterday affirmed the tourism industry remains largely resilient despite the disruptions caused by Cyclone Ditwah, with roughly 75% of hotel operations across the country functioning normally.
“Hotels in Colombo City, the South, deep South and Pasikudah continue to operate with minimal impact, while access roads to Nuwara Eliya are now being cleared for light vehicular movement,” he told the Daily FT.
Hettigoda noted, however, that Kandy and parts of the Cultural Triangle remain the most affected, with power outages, drinking water shortages and communication difficulties still posing challenges to tourism businesses. “We are hopeful that authorities will swiftly restore access, utilities and essential services in these destinations,” he said, stressing that Sri Lanka is still ready to welcome visitors from around the world during the winter season.
He said the sector expects to have a clearer picture of the overall impact once THASL completes collecting data from its members. Hettigoda asserted that recovery assistance should prioritise SLTDA-registered establishments that contribute directly to Government revenue, rather than extending blanket support to unregistered operators.
“At the recent meeting with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, THASL pressed for several urgent measures to stabilise the industry. Among them was a request to temporarily import vegetables, as the supply of fresh produce has dropped sharply following the extreme weather. We also called for the immediate implementation of the visa-free scheme for 47 countries under emergency provisions to help revive arrivals and foreign exchange earnings,” he added.
Despite the challenges, Hettigoda said the industry is seeing only marginal disruptions to bookings, with a few reservation cancellations and one Iranian charter flight withdrawal. “If you look at Dubai, it experienced massive floods for a full week. In contrast, Sri Lanka is blessed that roughly 75% of our tourism product remains accessible from Negombo down to the deep South,” he observed.
He also said the improving weather has also allowed wildlife parks in Yala, Kumana and Wilpattu to reopen in stages as water levels recede.
Hettigoda noted that tourism should remain one of the Government’s top priorities after addressing domestic relief needs, as it is one of the key sectors that can help generate revenue.
He commended the Government’s swift interventions so far, including the free-visa extensions granted to tourists whose visas expired during the cyclone and the full fee waivers offered to airlines for cancellations and date changes—two proposals originally put forward by the tourism industry.
THASL Chief said the sector is now seeking greater support to accelerate recovery, including assistance from the Finance Ministry to expedite insurance claims, allowing hotels to begin repairs quickly. The association has also asked banks to extend financial facilities, offer concessions on repayment plans for those who have borrowed and work with donor agencies to restore industry. THASL has also proposed the hosting of a Donor Conference for Tourism, aimed at mobilising funds not only for hotel recovery, but also for broader infrastructure improvements such as rail upgrades and the development of the iconic Nine Arches Bridge area.
“Treasury Secretary Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma, who was also present at the President’s meeting with the industry, pledged to convene a follow-up session with banks and insurance companies by the end of the week,” he said.
As recovery efforts intensify, THASL Chief remained cautiously optimistic that swift Government action will minimise long-term disruptions and help sustain the momentum Sri Lanka’s tourism sector has been rebuilding.
Tourist arrivals top 2.1 m mark with November boost
Sri Lanka’s tourism surpassed 2.1 million arrivals in the first 11 months, whilst November recorded the highest number of visitors since March 2025.
The country welcomed 212,906 tourists in November, marking a 16% year-on-year (YoY) growth. It also recorded the highest November arrivals in five years.
The monthly tally in November represents a 29% increase from October’s 165,193 arrivals. The 252,761 tourists recorded in January remains as the highest monthly arrivals registered in 2025 thus far.
Although the November numbers signal continued recovery, it fell short by 47,323 visitors from the projected target of 260,229 for the month set by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) — extending a trend observed throughout 2025, where monthly targets were consistently missed.
However, it reflected an increase of 17,324 arrivals from the 195,582 registered in November 2018.
As November propelled it to cross 2.1 million year-to-date (YTD) arrivals, edging closer to the revised 2025 target of 2.4 million visitors, the industry requires another 296,407 visitors within December. However, the YTD performance so far is still down by 11% when compared to the same period in the benchmark year of 2018.
The daily tourist arrivals averaged 7,093 – up from 6,139 during the same period a year ago and significantly higher than October’s 5,329 average.
India remained Sri Lanka’s largest source market in November, contributing 51,391 visitors or 24.1% of total arrivals. Russia followed with 24,953, while the UK ranked third with 16,915 visitors. Germany and Australia rounded out the top five with 14,518 and 9,384 arrivals, respectively. Other key contributors included China, France, Poland, the US, and Spain.
India’s dominance in YTD figures was also clear, accounting for 474,796 visitors (23%), followed by the UK with 191,742 (9%) and Russia with 158,593 (8%).
Industry analysts opined achieving the revised annual target will require strong performance in December, typically boosted by high winter season demand.
