Sri Lanka's tourism industry sees record surge

Sri Lanka's tourism sector is experiencing a significant upswing, with international tourist arrivals surpassing the 50,000 mark within the first nine days of April.

Provisional data released by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority reveals that the island nation welcomed a total of 50,537 visitors during this period, marking a substantial increase compared to the same period last year.

The figures indicate a remarkable growth rate of over 45 percent in international arrivals during the nine-day period, with the daily average rising to approximately 5,615, compared to around 3,844 from a year ago. 

Sri Lanka has set ambitious targets for April, aiming for between 168,539 and 182,724 tourist arrivals for the month. The current trend suggests that the lower end of this target range is within reach.

India emerged as the leading source of tourist traffic, contributing 19 percent of the total arrivals for the month. Following closely behind, the UK surpassed Russia to become the second-largest tourist traffic generator, accounting for 13 percent of arrivals. 

With recent updates to travel advisories by UK authorities, Sri Lanka anticipates a further increase in arrivals from the UK.

Russia remains a significant contributor, securing the third position with 10 percent of total international visitors. Germany, France, Australia, and China rounded out the top seven positions in the rankings, highlighting the diverse global interest in Sri Lanka's tourism offerings.