100,000 Tourists Visit Sri Lanka: Fruitful First 15 Days of 2024

In the initial 15 days of 2024, Sri Lanka has witnessed a substantial surge in tourism, with over 100,000 international visitors, marking a remarkable 114 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2023, as reported by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA).

The weekly report, released on Tuesday, discloses a noteworthy boost from the 102,545 tourists recorded in January 2023. The SLTDA underscores an average weekly arrival of 46,000 and a daily average of 6,700 international tourists. Chairman Priantha Fernando attributes this surge not only to the increased arrivals but also to a significant rise in revenue, primarily attributed to the reimplementation of the Minimum Room Rate (MRR) for hotels in Colombo. This surge follows Sri Lanka’s reception of 1,487,303 tourists in 2023, reflecting a notable 106.6 per cent increase from 2022, establishing tourism as a pivotal contributor to the nation’s foreign revenue. 3 star hotels in Colombo such as Cinnamon Red Colombo are highly sought after by visitors, and will greatly benefit from this potential surge in tourism.