Tourist arrivals cross 100,000 in first 15 days of January 

• Arrivals so far almost match total visitors received for the entirety of January 2023
• Realises 58% of ambitious monthly goal of 241,962 
• SLTDA Chairman Priantha Fernando expresses optimism about a continued positive trend in coming months

The tourism industry is experiencing a striking influx as the country welcomed over 100,000 tourists in the first 15 days of the month, kicking off 2024 on an optimistic note.

An exclusive report by the Daily FT on Tuesday (https://www.ft.lk/front-page/Tourist-arrivals-top-90-000-in-first-half-of-January/44-757402#:~:text=As%20per%20the%20provisional%20data,first%2014%20days%20in%202023) highlighted that the numbers surpassed the 90,000 mark. 

The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) released provisional figures yesterday, indicating that 101,362 tourists were welcomed in the first half of the month, including cruise ship arrivals.  This achievement nearly matches the total arrivals recorded for the entire month of January in 2023 which was registered at 102,545. 

Industry analysts said the sector is making significant strides toward its ambitious goal of 241,962 monthly arrivals for January, where 58% of this target has already been accomplished within the first half of the month.

SLTDA Chairman Priantha Fernando expressed optimism about the continued positive trend in the coming months. 

“As the industry showcases resilience and recovery, stakeholders remain hopeful for sustained growth, contributing to the country’s economic development,” he added.

Russia leads the arrivals during the first 15 days of the month with 16,263 visitors, followed by India with 15,324 and the UK contributing 7,741 arrivals. In addition, visitors from Germany, China, France, Australia, Poland, US and the Netherlands were also welcomed.

He pointed out that not only is there a rise in visitor numbers, but the impact on income, especially through the Minimum Room Rates (MRR), has been widespread, ensuring a better yield not only in Colombo but countrywide.

For 2024, Sri Lanka Tourism has set an ambitious target to welcome 2.3 million tourists and earn over $ 4.5 billion.