Tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka surpassed 600,000 by March 27th, achieving this milestone in almost half the time compared to the previous...
Tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka surpassed 600,000 by March 27th, achieving this milestone in almost half the time compared to the previous year.
Data from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) showed that the country recorded 608,475 tourist arrivals in the first 27 days of March. In contrast, it took until the end of June in 2023 to reach the 600,000 mark.
When compared to pre-pandemic and pre-Easter Sunday attack levels, Sri Lanka managed to exceed 700,000 arrivals by the end of March in both 2018 and 2019.
As of March 27, 2024, Sri Lanka has hosted a total of 181,872 international tourists. The weekly average of arrivals stands at around 46,000, translating to a daily average of approximately 6,700. Based on current trends, the country is on track to slightly surpass 200,000 tourist arrivals for March. Historical data from 2015 reveals that tourist arrivals typically decelerate from March onwards, reaching a low point in July.
India led the way as the top source of tourist traffic in March 2024, contributing 16% of total arrivals. Russia followed closely behind, accounting for 14% of arrivals, while Germany stood at 9%. The United Kingdom and China secured the fourth and fifth spots, respectively.
Recent data from the Central Bank indicates that tourism earnings for the first two months of the year amounted to US$ 687 million, marking a robust year-on-year growth of 118.2% compared to the same period last year
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