Sri Lanka’s June tourist arrival rate remains slow

25 June 2024 09:04 am Views - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}} 11

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The rate of tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka continues to remain slow in the month of June, which is an off-season of the island nation.

The provisional data released by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) showed that for the first 23 days of June, Sri Lanka welcomed only 84,383 international visitors. The daily arrival average is about 3,500 while the weekly arrival average is about 26,000.

Accordingly, the year-to-date tourist arrivals are at 981,162.

Analysis shows that compared with the number of tourists visiting the country in June 2023, the June 2024 arrivals thus far are a slight increase of 16 percent. In the first 23 days of June 2023, Sri Lanka welcomed 72,277 international visitors.

For June so far, India ranks as the largest tourist traffic generator, a position it continues to hold.
The United Kingdom ranks as the second largest source market for Sri Lanka tourism, while the Russian Federation ranks as the third.

Australia and China rank as the fourth and fifth largest tourist traffic generators for Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, the data from the SLTDA showed that Sri Lanka is now luring Maldivians for tourism purposes. While the Maldives has not been among the top source markets for Sri Lanka tourism, since May, the nation has made an entry to the list.

In May, the Maldives ranked as the third largest tourist traffic generator for Sri Lanka, accounting for about 7 percent of the total arrivals. In June, so far, the Maldives ranks in the eighth position.

It is unclear if the Maldives’ sudden entry to the top 10 source markets for Sri Lanka tourism is due to the change in the visa categorisation that came into effect recently.

Comments - 11

Sandy Tuesday, 25 June 2024 08:32 AM

Where is the visa website. Who is the tourism minister fooling .

1 1

Blackpool Prem Tuesday, 25 June 2024 08:58 AM

Main reason maybe the shortsighted move to handover visa processing to inconsistent Indian company?

3 129

VJ Tuesday, 25 June 2024 06:22 PM

It was not an Indian company, a Singaporean company operating in many countries. Indians are amongst their employees. In any case Indians are the majority amongst the visitors. They are here for pleasure and not to please some Sri Lankans who hate them.

0 18

I am concerned Tuesday, 25 June 2024 09:20 AM

Sri Lanka stands as a last resort for tourists, marred by appalling infrastructure that pales in comparison to leading destinations like Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam. The country's deplorable public hygiene, cleanliness standards, lackluster public transport system, incessant strikes plaguing public services funded by hardworking taxpayers, and pervasive corruption tarnish its image and stifle the growth of the tourism sector. There seems to be a deep-rooted impediment in our collective consciousness preventing us from choosing the right path. Without a fundamental shift in our attitudes toward the betterment of our nation, progress will remain an elusive dream. The absence of hygienic public toilets stands out as a glaring obstacle for both tourists and the public. Until we address these fundamental issues head-on, we are destined to stagnate indefinitely.

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Lionel Tuesday, 25 June 2024 11:43 AM

100% agree. Additionally, customer service at SL point of entries, railway stations etc is nothing short of being pathetic. What about huge fees from tourists for places of interest, compared with locals? These are in addition to the very high visa fees. SL's competitors do not charge any visa fee specially from well developed countries from which the bulk of tourists come anyway. No one in SL understands the basics.

69 41

Sri Lanka tourism Wednesday, 26 June 2024 07:06 AM

I think Sri lanka tourism is one big hoax when compared to other countries in the South and South East Asia. According to to the web site country's like Malaysia recieved 29 million tourists Thailand 28 million Vietnam 12.5 million and Indonesia 11 million to Sri Lanka 's 1.4 million foreign tourists by end of 2023.

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Poochie Baba Tuesday, 25 June 2024 10:01 AM

Keep on increasing the visa prices and nobody will come. Other destinations in Asia are much cheaper with better infrastructure!!

51 37

Danny Tuesday, 25 June 2024 11:26 AM

SLPP ministers try to rob the tourists with extra $25 on top the visa fee is the reason for this!

57 39

Judge Tuesday, 25 June 2024 11:50 AM

Is this a surprise? No. As if tourists do not have any other cheap, welcoming places with no visa fees to visit. SL can only promote greenery, beaches, hills so much. Once they are here, they have to deal with substandard, unhygienic food, lack of toilets, rude customer service, run down trains/busses, scammers, very expensive hotels and general rude behaviour. There are no decent pubs to have a beer, or outdoor eating and entertainments. Most SL cities are dead by 8pm. Everyone is there to rip them off. Why do they come here paying such high visa fees and entrance fees? Go and see other South Asian countries as to how well they do it.

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Rip Winkle Tuesday, 25 June 2024 10:08 PM

Sleezbag Alles is totally responsible for this.

0 0

WATAWAGE DON Wednesday, 26 June 2024 03:53 AM

ALLES MONEY GOES TO PANAMA BANK ACCOUNT

0 0

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