SHABIYA ALI AHLAM 
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Sri Lanka tourism records stellar performance: Over 100,000 visitors flock in first 15 days of January
Pic by Nisal Badage
- Tourist arrivals cross 100,000 mark in just 15 days
- SLTDA Chief says along with tourist arrivals, revenue too has surged
- Industry stakeholders commend authorities for efforts
- Russian Federation emerged as the largest tourist traffic generator for Sri Lanka tourism for January so farTourist arrivals to Sri Lanka crossed the 100,000 milestone within the first 15 days in January, signaling a remarkable spike in global interest in the island nation.
As per the latest data revealed by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) yesterday, the island nation has welcomed 101,362 international visitors. When compared with the corresponding period in 2023, tourist arrivals have surged by a staggering 114 percent Year-on-Year (YoY). For the whole of January 2023, Sri Lanka welcomed a total of 102, 545 tourists.
The weekly arrival average is about 46,000 whereas the daily arrival average is about 6,700.
“We from Sri Lanka Tourism are thrilled to see the numbers go higher since the last couple of years were challenging. “Not only is the tourism arrival numbers increasing, but increasing is also revenue. So this increase in performance has done a world of good for the industry,” SLTDA Chairman Priantha Fernando told Mirror Business.
Fernando attributed the increase in revenue to the reimposed Minimum Room Rate (MRR) for Colombo city hotels as it paved the way for properties across the country to up their prices. He shared that based on feedback from the hoteliers, December recorded the best-ever service charge month since the pandemic. Fernando went on to express confidence in 2024 recording the same.
The Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) President M. Shanthikumar noted that the performance is a “big achievement” given that the industry is still grappling with some challenges.
“We hope the momentum continues. While we commend the tourism development authorities for their efforts, we urge increasing promotional efforts, especially digital,” he said.
The Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO), while reflecting similar sentiments, shared that the winter season looks promising for Sri Lanka.
According to industry sources, hotels across the island are operating at about 75 percent occupancy, and bookings are looking “healthy” till March. For January so far, generating the highest tourist traffic is the Russian Federation, which accounts for 16 percent of the total arrivals. Ranking second is neighbouring giant India, bringing in 15 percent of the tourist arrivals in the first two weeks of January.
The United Kingdom ranks as the third largest source market for Sri Lanka tourism, accounting for 8 percent of the arrivals. Other key markets include Germany, China, France, and Australia.
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