Categories: Travel News

Tourist Arrivals in Sri Lanka Surge: Over 100,000 Visitors in First 15 Days of 2024

Sri Lanka has witnessed a remarkable surge in tourism, as reported by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA). According to the latest statistics released on the 16th of January, over 100,000 tourists have arrived in the first 15 days of 2024, signifying a growth of 114 per cent compared to the same period in 2023.

In January 2023, only 102,545 international tourists visited Sri Lanka, highlighting the substantial increase in the current influx. The SLTDA’s weekly report indicates an average of 46,000 weekly arrivals and a daily average of 6,700 international tourists.

SLTDA Chairman Priantha Fernando attributed this surge not only to increased arrivals but also to a notable rise in revenue. He emphasized that the reimposition of the Minimum Room Rate (MRR) for Colombo city hotels played a crucial role in boosting revenue. Some of the best hotels in Wadduwa the likes of The Blue Water Hotel and Spa also saw an increase in revenue growth.

The positive trend follows the country’s impressive tourism performance in 2023, with 1,487,303 tourists arriving, marking a remarkable 106.6 per cent increase from 2022 when 719,978 tourists visited Sri Lanka for the entire year, as per SLTDA data.

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