The island nation of Sri Lanka is experiencing a notable resurgence in tourism, with tourist arrivals surpassing the 60,000 mark in the initial days of February.
According to provisional data released by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, a total of 60,122 tourists visited the country in the first eight days of the month.
This surge represents a substantial increase compared to the previous month, with February's arrivals already accounting for approximately 55 percent of the total arrivals recorded in February 2023. The average daily arrivals have seen a significant uptick, rising to 7,500 from the range of 6,000 to 6,500 observed in January.
Leading the pack in terms of nationality is the Russian Federation, contributing 15 percent of the total tourist arrivals. Following closely behind is India, constituting 14 percent of international visitors to Sri Lanka, with the United Kingdom securing the third spot, accounting for 9 percent of arrivals.
The cumulative arrivals for the period spanning January 1 to February 8 stand at an impressive 268,375, indicating sustained interest in the destination.
Looking ahead, Sri Lanka aims to attract 2.3 million tourists in 2024, with the ambitious goal of generating a revenue of US $4 billion from tourism.
