Tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka have reached 1,095,675 as of July 15, 2024, with numbers expected to increase in the coming months.
According to the Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Lands Somarathne Vidanapathirana, if this trend continues, Sri Lanka could exceed its 2018 peak in tourism numbers, which was the highest recorded since the end of the war.
He made these comments addressing a media briefing held at the Presidential Media Centre recently.
Vidanapathirana noted that the concerted efforts of the Ministry of Tourism and its affiliated institutions have led to a promising recovery, despite setbacks suffered since the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks, the COVID-19 pandemic and the more recent economic crisis in Sri Lanka.
In 2022, 719,978 tourists visited Sri Lanka, and the number rose to 1,487,303 in 2023. By July 15, 2024, Sri Lanka had already welcomed 1,095,675 tourists.
Sri Lanka’s tourism sector peaked in 2018 with 2,333,796 visitors and USD 4.4 billion in revenue.
If the current positive trend continues, the number of foreign tourists and the income generated by the end of 2024 could exceed those of 2018, the officials said. (Newswire)