Sri Lanka on track to exceed 2024 tourism target

Tourists looking at Sigiriya in Sri Lanka

(Photo by Lou Lou B Photo on Unsplash)

Sri Lanka is set to surpass its ambitious target of 2.3 million tourist arrivals this year, showing impressive growth from the 1.4 million tourists who visited in 2023.

By October 2024, the country had already welcomed 1,620,715 visitors, reflecting positive momentum in the tourism sector.

According to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, October saw 135,907 tourist arrivals, an increase from the 122,140 visitors recorded in September.

This represents a notable rise of over 20,000 tourists compared to October of the previous year.

The highest number of arrivals in October was recorded in the fourth week, with 31,076 visitors.

India remains the largest source of tourists for Sri Lanka in 2024, with 322,973 Indian visitors.

The United Kingdom follows as the second largest, contributing 146,670 tourists. Significant numbers have also arrived from Russia, Germany, China, and France.

This upward trend in tourist arrivals highlights Sri Lanka’s growing appeal as a travel destination and its recovery from recent challenges, signaling a strong outlook for the tourism sector.