Tourism surpasses 2018 levels, record numbers – revenues top $1.5 billion – Hiru News

The Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Land Affairs, Somarathne Vidanapathirana, stated that 1,095,675 tourist arrivals had been recorded in Sri Lanka by 15 July 2024. He expressed optimism that the country could surpass the 2018 tourism peak, which was achieved after the war, if current trends continue.

He highlighted the significant setbacks faced by the tourism sector due to the Easter attacks, the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic crisis. However, he noted that the joint efforts of the Ministry of Tourism and its affiliated institutions have led to a promising recovery.

During the press conference titled “Two Years of Progress and Development” held yesterday (25) at the Presidential Media Centre (PMC), Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Lands, Somarathne Vidanapathirana, further explained:

Two years ago, Sri Lanka’s tourism industry was struggling, badly hit by the Easter attacks, the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic crisis. However, I am happy to report that the Ministry of Tourism and its affiliated institutions are now achieving successful results through a coordinated program.

Accordingly, 719,978 tourists visited Sri Lanka in 2022, with the number rising to 1,487,303 in 2023. As of July 15, 2024, Sri Lanka had already welcomed 1,095,675 tourists. This trend suggests that the number of visitors could surpass the totals of the past two years by the end of the year.

Sri Lanka’s tourism industry peaked in 2018 with 2,333,796 visitors and US$4.4 billion in revenue. If the current positive trend continues, the number of foreign tourists and revenue generated could surpass that of 2018 by the end of 2024.

HG Jayasekara, Deputy Director (Planning), National Zoological Gardens Department;

In 2022 and 2023, the total number of local tourists to Sri Lanka Botanical Gardens reached 1,773,048 and 1,925,129 respectively. Of these tourists, 103,322 were in 2022 and 227,729 in 2023. Notably, local tourist arrivals increased by 148% in 2022 and 9% in 2023 compared to the previous year. Meanwhile, the number of foreign tourists increased by 461% in 2022 and 120% in 2023.

In June 2024, the Botanical Gardens welcomed 965,468 local tourists and 183,674 foreign tourists. This is a 96% increase in foreign tourist visits compared to the same period last year.

Accordingly, the turnover of the Sri Lanka Botanical Gardens stood at Rs.420.02 million in 2022 and increased to Rs.901.1 million in 2023. As of June 2024, the Gardens had already generated Rs.735.56 million. This represents an increase of 184% in 2022, 115% in 2023 and 133% in 2024 compared to the corresponding periods of the previous years.

PU Rathnayake, Deputy Director General of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA);

In 2018, Sri Lanka attracted 2,333,796 tourists. From 2023 onwards, there has been a significant uptick in the number of tourists. By the end of 2023, the number of tourists had increased to 1,487,303. By 15 July 2024, this number had increased to 1,095,675, indicating a strong upward trend. In addition, tourism revenue from January to June 2024 was approximately USD 1,556.64 million.

The Tourism Development Authority is committed to promoting sustainable tourism through the development and operation of large scale resorts. Currently projects in Kuchchaveli, Kalpitiya and Dedduwa are ready for promoters.

Future projects open to investors include Kuchchaveli, Kalpitiya and Yala. By 2024, the authority registered 12,213 service providers, including 4,534 tourist accommodations, 4,923 tourist guides and 2,756 other service providers.

In addition, registration awareness and mobile programs have been implemented in locations such as Pasikuda, Batticaloa, Kitulgala, Kataragama, Meemure, Ella, Pinnawala and Galle.

National resorts for local tourists are currently operational in Bandarawela, Kataragama, Anuradhapura and Nuwara Eliya. Several development projects have been completed in the last two years, including those in Aluthnuwara, Madunagala, Dunhinda, Rajanawa Falls, Sandathanna Agricultural Project, Gatbaruwa Tourism Centre and Mount Lavinia Tourist Police Unit.

As of June 2024, the Tourism Development Authority has approved 16 investment projects, with a total of 224 approved rooms and an investment of approximately USD 25.39 million. Upcoming plans include developing a maritime tourism roadmap, announcing tourism development areas, creating master zoning plans in collaboration with the Urban Development Authority (UDA), and implementing a microgrid solar energy program to address the energy crisis.

Chalaka D. Gajabahu, Chairman of Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB);

Over the past two years, the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau has successfully implemented numerous programs, most notably the “Seeing is Believing” project launched by the Public Relations

Division hosted 189 international travel bloggers and communicators, resulting in media exposure worth over a billion rupees.

The Marketing Division also used 15 major travel fairs and 29 roadshows including ITB in Germany, WTM in London, ATM in Dubai, IFTM in France and SATTE in India to promote tourism. More than 75 travel agents and hotel professionals participated in these events. In addition, there was a major special project where 500 Indian travel agents and 50 Indian journalists were hosted at the TAAI (Travel Agents Association of India) conference, which was held in Sri Lanka for the first time.

We are currently launching a series of global tourism promotion programmes. The first phase focuses on public relations, digital campaigns and social media in the UK, Germany, France, India and China.

Inspired by these activities and projects over the past two years, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau introduced a new brand identity in 2023 under the theme “Sri Lanka – Bringing You Back for More”. This initiative received significant international acclaim and recognition in 2024.

Shirantha Peiris, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism & Hotel Management;

From 2021 to 2023, Sri Lanka Tourism and Hotel Management Institute has trained 5,000, 6,000 and 8,000 students respectively through courses offered across the country. This year, we aim to train over 10,000 interns into the tourism and hospitality industry.

Furthermore, we collaborate with various institutions to promote our programs both nationally and internationally. Notable national partners include the National School of Business Management, Korea Ceylon Hotel School, the Foreign Employment Bureau, the Ministry of Women, Child Affairs, and Social Empowerment (Department of Probation and Child Care Services), and Gampaha Wickramarachchi Indigenous Medical University.

Internationally, we collaborate with the University of Salzburg in Austria, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and S4IG (funded by AUSAID). In addition, we are currently in discussions to facilitate employee and student exchanges with the International College of Hotel Management in Australia and three major hospitality universities in Malaysia.

Krishantha Fernando, General Manager of Sri Lanka Convention Bureau (SLCB);

The Marketing Division has achieved several important milestones in the past two years. In particular, the MICE classification was incorporated into the e-visa application system to better identify MICE tourists, and two successful phases of the MICE Expo were organised in Colombo and Jaffna.

In addition, several new promotional videos were produced and a new website for the Sri Lanka Federation Bureau was launched. Efforts in digital and website-based promotions, as well as Search Engine Optimization (SEO), were significantly enhanced.

Other key activities include participation and representation of Sri Lanka at international exhibitions and events such as OTM, SAATE, ATM, BLTM, IMEX and WTM, organizing familiarization tours to promote MICE and positioning Sri Lanka as a leading MICE destination.

In 2023, the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau supported numerous international conferences in the medical field. It also provided financial and logistical support for several major international events,

including the Intergovernmental Ministerial Meeting for Asia and Oceania, the International Trainers’ Conference and the Session of Regional Ministers and Environmental Authorities for Asia and the Pacific.