February tourist arrivals up 17% to over 115,000 in 1H

Saturday, 15 February 2025 01:41 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

YTD arrivals surpass 370,000 tourists, marking 20% YoY increase
Daily arrivals rose to 8,849 up 17% YoY compared to same period in 2024
Analysts project if momentum continues Sri Lanka will end Feb. with just over 25,000 visitors
Says 310,937 target set by SLTDA will be missed as country requires 11,105 daily arrivals to reach its monthly goal
India, Russia and UK emerge as top source markets so far in Feb.

By Charumini de Silva

Sri Lanka’s tourist arrivals have shown a strong growth, rising 17% year-on-year (YoY) in the first half of February with 115,043 visitors welcomed.

This has also propelled the year-to-date arrivals surpass 370,000 tourists in the first 14 days, marking a 20% YoY increase compared to the same period in 2024.

The daily arrival average climbed to 8,849 visitors from 7,573 during the same period last year.

The industry analysts opined that if the current pace continues, Sri Lanka Tourism could see just over 250,000 arrivals in February, though still missing the monthly target of 310,937 set by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA). The country requires nearly 11,105 daily arrivals to reach the monthly target.

The year kicked off with a 21.4% YoY growth to 252,761 visitors, recording the best-ever January arrivals, surpassing the previous high of 238,924 registered in 2018.

India remained the leading source market in first 13 days of February, contributing 16,016 visitors, followed by Russia with 14,315 and the UK with 12,925. Other key markets included Germany, France, China, Australia, Poland, the Netherlands and the US.

India also leads the cumulative arrivals with 59,391 visitors, followed by Russia at 48,411 and the UK at 34,655.

Industry suggests, the extension of tax concessions for airlines operating into the country’s three key airports – the Jaffna International Airport, Colombo International Airport (Ratmalana), and Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport, were assisting the steady increase of international tourist footfall during January.

For 2025, Sri Lanka Tourism is expecting to draw 3 million tourists and generate $ 5 billion in revenue. In 2024, the country welcomed 2.05 million visitors, generating over $ 3.2 billion in revenue, registering a substantial 52.38% YoY increase.

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