In the first 11 days of December this year, Sri Lanka experienced a 9.2% growth in tourist arrivals compared to the same period last year, welcoming 68,648 visitors. The daily average of arrivals was around 6,241 tourists, slightly higher than November’s average of 6,138. Projections suggest that the country may receive between 193,471 and 229,644 tourists by the end of December, slightly below the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority’s estimates. Despite this, if the current trends continue, Sri Lanka is poised to exceed two million tourist arrivals for the year.
Recently, travel advisories against Arugam Bay were lifted, positively impacting tourism. India led as the top source market with 14,358 arrivals, followed by Russia with 10,707 visitors, and Germany with 4,953 arrivals. The United Kingdom, China, Australia, the United States, Poland, France, and Bangladesh also contributed significantly to tourist arrivals during this period.
Cumulatively for 2024, Sri Lanka has welcomed 1.87 million tourists, with India, Russia, and the UK being the top contributing markets. Analysts predict total arrivals for the year to range between 2 million and 2.1 million, falling short of the initial target of 2.3 million.
