Tourist arrivals pick up pace in July

• Sri Lanka attracts over 43,000 international visitors in first seven days of July 
• Ongoing Dawoodi Bohra International Convention brings to SL over 15,000 religious visitors from about 40 countries

Sri Lanka welcomed over 43,000 international visitors in the first week of July, a significant pickup in the tourist inflow rate from last month.

Provisional data from Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority shows that the island nation lured a total of 43,083 tourists, bringing year-to-date arrivals to 1,053,332.

In comparison to the first week of June this year, the first week of July witnessed an 89 percent increase in tourist arrivals.

The month of July kicked off with Sri Lanka hosting the Dawoodi Bohra International Convention, which commenced on July 7 and will go on for 12 days.

The Dawoodi Bohra International Convention is a major boost for Sri Lanka tourism, as it brings to the island nation over 15,000 religious visitors from over 40 countries.

Sri Lanka hosted the Dawoodi Bohra International Convention in 2019, with the aim of showcasing the island nation as a safe destination, following the Easter Sunday deadly attack.

According to industry stakeholders, this is the first major international convention the country is hosting for 2024. The event was initiated by the Tourism Ministry and local Bohra community.