Sri Lanka Tourism Records Strong Start in 2024 – Aiming to Surpass 2023 Arrivals

Sri Lanka’s tourism sector has kicked off the year with promising numbers, surpassing 64,870 arrivals in the first 10 days of January 2024. Projections suggest that by the 20th of the month, the total arrivals are set to exceed last year’s January figure of 102,545, with expectations to surpass the 200,000 mark by the end of January, as confirmed by a Sri Lanka Tourism official.

Russia has emerged as the leading source destination for Sri Lanka, contributing 11,436 arrivals, accounting for 18% of the total. India follows closely in second place with 9,226 arrivals (15%), and Germany secures the third spot with 5,012 arrivals (8%). The United Kingdom claims the fourth position with 4,661 arrivals, constituting 7% of the total.

Anticipating a surge in arrivals from China in the mid-year, Sri Lanka is on track to surpass the 2 million mark in tourist arrivals for 2024. This follows a remarkable 106% increase in arrivals in 2023, reaching nearly 1.5 million, compared to the previous year, 2022. This is also good news for Araliya Green City and many a hotel in Nuwara Eliya Sri Lanka and other parts of the island as they can expect a rise in bookings this year.