First half of December pushes tourist arrivals to over 100,000

Tuesday, 19 December 2023 02:12 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

YTD figure now 88% of original target of 1.55 m for 2023
Tourism Minister Harin Fernando says Sri Lanka will end 2023 slightly below target around 1.46 m
Commends industry for resilience and adaptability after facing series of challenges which no other destination endured
India, Russia and UK remain dominant markets YTD

By Charumini de Silva

Sri Lanka welcomed over 100,000 visitors in the first 17 days of December, propelling the year-to-date (YTD) figures to an impressive over 1.37 million.

This robust performance brings the cumulative tourist arrivals to 1.37 million (1,377,701) achieving a commendable 88% of the original set target of 1.55 million for 2023.

However, Tourism Minister Harin Fernando said Sri Lanka will end the year slightly below the target.

“We might end the year at around 1,465,000,” he told the Daily FT.

Despite the shortfall that might occur, Minister Fernando expressed satisfaction and commended the industry for its resilience and adaptability after facing a series of challenges which no other destination endured.

The country hopes to attract 242,135 arrivals for December, making it the highest monthly goal for the year. As of 17 December, 58% of this target has already been achieved, the provisional data by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) showed.

Originally, the SLTDA planned to attract 1.55 million tourists and $ 3 million in earnings, but the target was revised upwards to 2 million amid a surge in arrivals in July. However, the figures were later adjusted back to the initial target of 1.55 million, accompanied by a reduction in earnings expectations to $ 2.7 billion.

The latest data from the Central Bank reveals a substantial year-on-year increase of 78.3% in tourism earnings, reaching $ 1.79 billion during the first 11 months of 2023. November alone accounted for $ 205.3 million in earnings.

During the first 17 days of December, India, Russia, the UK, Germany and China emerged as the top five contributing markets, with average daily arrivals reaching 5,882 — a notable increase compared to November’s figure of 5,070. India (279,468), Russia (181,997) and the UK (121,104) dominated as the top markets YTD.

The resumption of charter flights and regular cruise liners has played a pivotal role in boosting arrivals in December. This positive trend signals a strong rebound for Sri Lanka’s tourism sector, highlighting the country’s attractiveness as a key destination.