Sri Lanka Aiming for 3M Tourist Arrivals in 2025

Buddhika Hewawasam, chairman of the state-owned national tourism organisation Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, also announced the formation of a new National Tourism Commission. This commission will serve as the primary governing body for tourism and will bring together four state agencies currently responsible for tourism, including a hotel school.

The government is targeting US$5 billion in tourism revenue, which will provide much-needed foreign exchange, by 2025. In 2023, revenue surged to US$2.1 billion, up from US$1.1 billion the previous year. From January to November 2024, revenue reached US$2.8 billion, compared to US$1.8 billion during the same period in 2023.

Tourist arrivals from January to November 2024 totalled 1.8 million, up from 1.3 million during the same months in 2023. Sri Lanka is now targeting over 2 million arrivals for the year. The country’s key source markets are India, Russia, the UK, Germany, and China.

Meanwhile ATC 2025 will stretch across January 15 and 16, and will be held at Persada Johor International Convention Centre. The session, Charting Tourism for ASEAN: Trends Defining the Next Decade. It will be presented by Randy Durban, CEO, Global Sustainable Tourism Council, TTG Asia reported.

Programming for this year’s ATC is coordinated by Hannah Pearson, director of Pear Anderson, a research and sales representation tourism consultancy.