Revenue from tourism increases

Sri Lanka earned 205.3 million US dollars from tourism during the month of November 2023, which is over twice the amount in the corresponding month in 2022, the latest data by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) have revealed.

The revenue from tourism in November 2022 was 81 million dollars, according to official data.The revenue earned from tourism from January to the end of November was 1.8 billion dollars, which is a 78.3 percent hike from the same period in 2022.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry told Parliament on Thursday that the tourist arrivals would increase in 2024 with more airlines coming into the country.Sri Lanka welcomed 151,496 international tourists in November, the highest monthly number of visitors it received in 2023, according to official data.

The total tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka during the first 11 months of the year was 1.27 million, according to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority.Tourism is one of Sri Lanka’s top foreign revenue generators. In late November, the government waived visa fees for nationals from China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Japan to boost tourism in the coming season.