Tourist arrivals soar past 800,000

• Boost in arrivals spark optimism for year-end targets
• First week of May welcomes 28,525 tourists, pushing YTD visitors to 813,176
• India leads pack as top generating market for May so far, followed by Maldives and the UK 
• Despite seasonal trend of low arrivals in May, industry stakeholders remain optimistic

Sri Lanka’s tourism sector celebrates a significant milestone as tourist arrivals soar past 800,000, sparking optimism for the year-end targets. 

The accomplishment marks a noteworthy surge, a milestone previously reached only in August of the preceding year. It underscores the substantial progress made in the tourism sector, reflecting high interest and engagement with Sri Lanka as a preferred destination for travellers.

Over the first week of May alone, Sri Lanka welcomed 28,525 tourists, pushing the total number of visitors to 813,176. 

For 2024, Sri Lanka Tourism expects 2.3 million arrivals and an income of $ 4 billion.

India leads the pack as the top generating market for May, contributing 5,600 tourists, followed by Maldives with 3,170 visitors and the UK with 1,888 tourists.

Despite the seasonal trend of low arrivals in May, industry stakeholders remain optimistic. Sri Lanka Tourism is stepping up its efforts during this lean season, launching a global PR and digital campaign in 15 markets to attract more visitors.

The year-to-date (YTD) data highlights India’s dominance in the market, constituting 16% of total arrivals with 129,183 tourists. Russia follows closely with 13% (108,140), trailed by the UK at 9% (73,880), Germany at 7% (59,508) and China at 5% (49,432).