Tourist arrivals top 90,000 in first half of January

• Tourism Minister Harin Fernando says rise in arrivals during the first 15 days is positive development
• Russian tourists drive surge in arrivals so far followed by India, Germany 
• Hints Cathay Pacific will soon resume services to Sri Lanka 

In a promising start to the year, Sri Lanka has seen a remarkable uptick in tourist arrivals during the first half of January, primarily attributed to an influx of Russian visitors. 

“Total arrivals during the first 15 days of January surpassed 90,000, marking a substantial increase from the same period last year,” Tourism Minister Harin Fernando told the Daily FT. He said the rise in arrivals to over 90,000 during the first half of the month is a positive development, instilling optimism for the industry. 

“We anticipate that the sector can sustain this growth momentum throughout the year, with many events earmarked for 2024,” he added.

As per the provisional data released by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), during the first 10 days of January, it welcomed a total of 64,870 visitors compared to 44,170 received during the first 14 days in 2023.

Accordingly, the top markets during the first 10 days of January 2024 include; Russia with 11,436 arrivals (18%), followed by India with 9,226 (15%) and Germany with 5,012 (8%).

Other notable markets contributing to the positive trend include the UK, China, France, Australia, Poland, Netherlands, and the US.

Fernando highlighted several contributing factors to this surge, including the resumption of charter flights, higher international rankings, the return of more international airlines and ongoing promotional efforts.

“The increased presence of European carriers flying into Colombo further fuels expectations of a busy tourism season, extending till the end of March 2024,” he added.

The Minister also announced that Cathay Pacific will soon resume its services to Colombo whilst adding that discussions are ongoing with AirAsia and few other budget airlines to boost tourist arrivals specifically from Australia. 

Sri Lanka Tourism has set an ambitious target of 241,962 monthly arrivals for January. 

Adding to Sri Lanka’s positive outlook, Travel Off Path, a UAE-based travel resource, listed the island nation as one of the fastest-growing tourism destinations in 2024. This forecast was based on a thorough analysis of internet search volume data, indicating a growing interest and curiosity among travellers worldwide. Moreover, Forbes magazine ranked Sri Lanka fourth among the top solo travel destinations for the year.

“With a promising start to the year and a favourable forecast, Sri Lanka appears poised to capitalise on its burgeoning tourism industry, drawing visitors from around the globe. We hope that the number of tourists as well as the earnings from the industry will continue to grow in 2024,” the Minister added.