Tourist arrivals cross 1.5 m mark in positive start to October

Sri Lanka Tourism has reached a significant milestone, surpassing 1.5 million arrivals so far in 2024. 

The country has welcomed over 20,000 visitors during the first week of October, signalling a positive start to the final quarter of the year.

This also marks the highest arrivals recorded after a hiatus of five years following the Easter Sunday attacks in 2019. The 2.33 million tourists received in 2018 still remains Sri Lanka’s highest number of arrivals in history.

Industry champions expressed optimism following the restoration of the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system on 26 September, which has led to an uptick in arrivals. “We have seen an improvement and hope this trend continues for a strong winter season,” they said.

As per the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), it expects 155,070 arrivals for October. 

Sri Lanka has set ambitious targets for 2024, aiming to attract 2.3 million tourists and generate over $ 4 billion in foreign exchange revenue.