India expected to be top tourist generator in 2023

ECONOMYNEXT –Sri Lanka is seeing strong prospects of tourists from India driving the sector in 2023, a top industry official said as the country tries to emerge from its worst ever currency crisis.

“I think India is going to be our biggest contributor and there’s a lot of activity happening between India and Sri Lanka which is very positive,” Shiromal Cooray, Managing Director at Jetwing Travels, told a business forum organized by the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.

Russian tourists have topped arrivals in the winter season but Indian tourists were on top in the full year 2022.

Sri Lanka in 2022 welcomed 719,978 tourists. India was the top generating market with 123,004 visitors.In November 2022, Sri Lanka welcomed 59,759 tourists up from 44,294 from 2a year earlier.

Arrivals in December at 91,961 were up from 89,506 in 2021. Russia was the top source market during the month with 19,963 visitors, followed by India 17,339.