Tourist arrivals rebound with Russian boost

• Arrivals rose 24.95% YoY to 135,907, rebounding from September’s slowdown
• Despite this growth, Sri Lanka narrowly missed its monthly target of 153,123 arrivals

Sri Lanka’s tourist arrivals in October saw a notable recovery, returning to double-digit growth due to a last-minute surge in Russian visitors, even as several countries issued security warnings for the island nation.

Arrivals rose 24.95 percent year-on-year to 135,907, rebounding from September’s slowdown, which saw growth drop to single digits for the first time this year. 

Particularly during the last week of October, international arrivals surged, with visitor numbers up 35 percent, or nearly 10,000 tourists, between October 24 and 31. This boost came despite travel advisories from the United States, United Kingdom, Israel, and others on October 23, warning of potential terrorist threats targeting the popular surfing destination Arugam Bay.

A substantial increase in Russian tourists was witnessed during the final days of October, with nearly 3,000 Russians arriving between October 28 and 31, representing 28.8 percent of total Russian arrivals for the month. 

The surge is linked to the launch of direct flights from Hambantota Airport to multiple Russian cities on October 28. Russian carrier Red Wings has begun operating six weekly flights from key cities, including Moscow, Kazan, Novosibirsk, Ekaterinburg, Sochi, and Samara, with services set to continue until May 6, 2025.

Germany, China, and Australia also saw accelerating arrival rates over the four-day period, at the onset of the winter season, and Sri Lanka’s return to the ETA visa system drew more visitors.

Despite this growth, Sri Lanka narrowly missed its monthly target of 153,123 arrivals, though the shortfall was smaller than in recent months.

India remained the top source market with 36,417 arrivals, followed by Russia with 10,367 and the United Kingdom with 10,206. Germany ranked fourth with 9,217 visitors, while China took fifth spot with 8,307. Australia, France, and Bangladesh rounded out the top source markets, with the U.S. and Spain completing the top ten.

Cumulative arrivals for the year have surpassed 1.62 million, with India leading at 322,973 arrivals, followed by the UK at 146,670 and Russia at 137,599.

Analysts expect tourist arrivals to reach 2-2.1 million by year-end, below the original target of 2.3 million.

 (NF)