SL notches more than 100 percent increase in tourist arrivals last year

Sri Lanka received 1,487,303 tourists in 2023, the latest statistics released by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) show.

This is an increase of over 100 percent in comparison to the previous year, which recorded 719,978 arrivals, the data shows.

The last month alone the country saw 210,352 tourist arrivals up from 151,496 recorded in November 2023.

India, Russia, United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, and China were among the top source markets in December.

Tourism is one of Sri Lanka’s top foreign revenue generators. In late November, the government waived visa fees for nationals from China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Japan to boost tourism.