Tourist arrivals in April contract by 41% compared to March

Tourist arrivals for the month of April witnessed 40.8 percent drop when compared with the previous month. The significant contraction can be attributed to the ongoing economic crisis in the country that has grabbed the attention of the world.

Statistics released by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) showed that a total of 62,980 tourists visited the country for the entire month of April. This brings the total number of tourist arrivals for 1 January to 31 April to 348,314.

On a cumulative basis, the number of international visitors having visited the country for the first four months of April is a 79 percent increase when compared to the corresponding period the previous year.

Furthermore, the daily average tourist arrivals to the country dropped to 2,099 in April 2022, whereas in the previous months the daily arrival rate was in the ranges of 3,500 to 4,000. The United Kingdom emerged as the largest source market for Sri Lanka tourism, replacing India, with 11,593 visitors. India slipped to the second position accounting for 8,678 visitors, and Germany ranked third, bringing in 6,088 tourists.

Other notable markets include France, Russia, Australia, Canada, United States, Switzerland, and Netherlands.