Sri Lanka welcomes over 233,000 tourists in 29 days of December 

Sri Lanka welcomed 233,087 tourists as of 29 December, bringing the cumulative tourist arrivals for the year to 2.04 million.

The daily average of tourist arrivals for the first 29 days of December improved significantly to 8,037 tourists per day, compared to the daily average of 6,138 tourists in November 2024 and 6,786 tourists per day in December 2023. 

Tourist arrivals are on track to surpass the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority’s (SLTDA) conservative forecast of 236,485 arrivals for December. Since December 20, daily arrivals have seen a notable increase, fluctuating between 9,000 and over 11,000 visitors per day.

India continued to dominate as the top source market, contributing 50,705 arrivals in December. Russia also accounted for 50,705 visitors, while the United Kingdom retained third position with 17,539 arrivals. Germany secured the fourth spot with 13,568 arrivals, followed by Australia with 12,440 arrivals. Other significant source markets during this period included China, the United States, the Maldives, France, and Poland.

For the entirety of 2024, cumulative tourist arrivals reached 2.037 million. India was the largest contributor with 414,798 arrivals, followed by Russia with 198,601 visitors, and the United Kingdom with 177,121 arrivals.