Sri Lanka Welcomed the 1 Millionth Tourist of 2023: A Celebratory Milestone

In a remarkable turn of events, Sri Lanka celebrated a momentous occasion on September 26, 2023, as it welcomed its one-millionth tourist for the year. This significant milestone signified a resurgence in Sri Lanka’s tourism industry, and it was met with great enthusiasm. The esteemed couple, a Russian national named Alex Mazkov and his family, arrived on an Oman Airlines flight (WY-373), having embarked on a journey that took them from Russia to Muscat in Oman and then to the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake.

The Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) pulled out all the stops to give the family a warm and gracious welcome. Dr. Prasad Jayasekera, the Director of SLTPB, highlighted the exceptional nature of this achievement, as it was the first time in three years, since 2019, that Sri Lanka had the pleasure of hosting over a million tourists in a single year. While most tourists tend to veer towards the coasts of the country, a sizeable number head to the central highlands, where the most popular cultural landmark is Kandy city. Hotels in the region are well-documented for providing excellent accommodation, with properties such as Hotel Topaz being quite popular among visitors.