Tourist arrivals expected to top 400,000 in first four months of 2023

The Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) Chairman on Wednesday told journalists that they expected tourist arrivals to reach 400,000 by 20 April.

SLTDA Chairman Priyantha Fernando said 55,000 tourists had arrived in the country in the first 16 days of April.

He added that most tourists visiting Sri Lanka this year had been Russian and Indian nationals.

Fernando said they are expecting more Chinese tourists next month.

The SriLankan Airlines would operate nine flights a week starting from

April to destinations in China, and it would facilitate travel between the two countries, Fernando opined.

Tourism, one of Sri Lanka’s leading foreign exchange earners, has suffered a setback due to the COVID-19 pandemic and economic and political crises in the country.