Sri Lanka Tourism, the nation’s Tourism organization and the third highest Foreign exchange earner in the country, is seeing success in Tourism arrivals as never before, even compared with Pre Pandemic levels . 2018 was considered to be one of the best years for Sri Lanka Tourism , in gaining Tourist arrivals , but the present situation of a unlimited surge of Tourist arrivals have made the Tourism Industry an amazing increase in  Tourism revenue , and also increasing more employment opportunities , more tourism attractions  and initiatives to encourage more tourists to Sri Lanka , as one of the most renowned travel destinations in the world , complete with everything that an interested traveler needs to have , from Sun Kissed beaches to Lush Greenery , and delectable , authentic cuisine.

Due the continuous promotional efforts of Sri Lanka Tourism, the Tourism sector has seen a considerable growth in the recent years. The year 2023 was probably one of the best years in the Sri Lanka Tourism Calendar, by getting more than 100, 000 tourist arrivals each month, except in May 2023 , which was 83, 309. December 2023 saw the largest number of tourist arrivals to the destination, which hit an astounding number of 210 , 352 arrivals , making 2023 become a memorable year for Sri Lanka Tourism . This can be taken as an excellent outcome of what Sri Lanka Tourism went through despite all the challenges and obstacles during the past few years, such as the COVID 19 pandemic ,2019 Easter attacks and the 2022 Economic Crisis. Despite these challenges, Sri Lanka Tourism was determined to steer ahead by spreading the positive message all across the world, that ‘’Sri Lanka is ready and safe’’ . It was indeed a strenuous task to cast off all the negative impressions circulated among social media about the destination, but with the promotional efforts done by Sri Lanka Tourism, it has reached a stage where tourists would   now grab every opportunity to visit Sri Lanka to experience it’s amazing travel and holiday opportunities, and exquisite attractions. Sri Lanka ‘s Pekoe Trail was listed as the National Geographic’s best coveted ‘’Best of the World for 2024’’ . The Pekoe Trail, which starts from Kandy, and ends up from Nuwaraeliya , is an exclusive opportunity to witness Sri Lanka’s beautiful Central highlands , by passing remote villages and  lush tea estates, spawning over an area of approximately 200 miles. It was also recognized by the British Guild of Travel Writers at the International Awards UK , where Sri Lanka was presented with the Pekoe Trail Award , which was another achievement for Sri Lanka Tourism.  A replica of the award was presented by the Hon. Minister of Tourism, Lands, Sports and Youth Affairs, Harin Fernando at the Brand Launch held last year, to the team which contributed a great deal to receive this accolade.

Further adding a few more feathers in Sri Lanka’s cap, the destination was also named as one of the best destinations to travel to in 2023, and as one of the best tourist hotspots, by The Independent’s list of best destinations to travel.   The Forbes listed Sri Lanka as one of the 23 best places to visit in 2023. In February 2023 , The Forbes magazine recognized Sri Lanka as a ‘Top Wildlife Safaris Outside of Africa’. In addition, the country was ranked ninth in a list of the 50 most Instagrammable places in the world in 2023, based on Big 7 Travel social media data, whilst the destination was also ranked among the top 24 countries to travel in 2023 by TravelTriangle, a leading online holiday marketplace. 

In order to rejuvenate the Tourism sector and encourage tourists to visit Sri Lanka without any hassle, Sri Lanka also introduced Visa free entry for tourists coming from India, China, Russia, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, and Thailand. This opportunity will continue till Mach 31st , 2024, as a part of an initiative to boost the tourism Industry. In this way, Sri Lanka Tourism was able to give a positive answer to all speculations made regarding of the comeback of the Tourism Industry, by doubling the numbers of tourist arrivals than expected in 2023, and showing the whole world that Sri Lanka is indeed a strong nation – never ready to give up – and has become the once world renowned travel destination which it had been before. In an overall view, tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka in 2023 were recorded as 1,487,303. 

And the top ten source markets which played a pivotal role in bringing   tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka from Jan 2023 to December 2023 were, India, Russia, UK , Germany , China, Australia, France , US , Canada, Maldives and others . Out from these countries, India as our neighbor has been the number one destination with the highest number of tourist arrivals, as always it has done in the times of need, highlighting    it’s support. All arrangements have been made to kick start Sri Lanka Tourism’s much awaited global promotional campaign in March 2024, and Sri Lanka’s national travel organization is having high hopes on making it a success. 

Sri Lanka Tourism also started the New Year 2024 with a positive start, creating a landmark number of 208 , 253 tourist arrivals for the Month of January , 2024.As usual India was the number one destination to send the highest number of tourists to the destination, with Russia and UK claiming the 2nd and 3rd places respectively.  It is highly anticipated that Sri Lanka Tourism will be able to achieve the target of 2.3 million tourists in 2024 or even more.

In this regard, Sri Lanka Tourism is reaping the benefits of its hard work towards promoting Sri Lanka as one of the best travel destinations in the world, under the enthusiastic leadership of Hon . Minister of Tourism , Lands , Sports & Youth Affairs, Harin Fernando , and also the skillful guidance of Mr. Chalaka Gajabahu , Chairman , Sri  Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau , Mr. Nalin Perera, Managing Director , Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau , and rest of the senior management . Sri Lanka Tourism was able to enjoy another achievement as the SLTPB chairman was unanimously appointed as the Vice Chairman, UNWTO Committee on Tourism and Competitiveness. 

All these endorsements and accolades highlight a promising future for Sri Lanka Tourism, creating more global opportunities and mark its place on the global map.