Sri Lanka has achieved a significant milestone in its tourism sector, welcoming over 2 million visitors in 2024—the highest annual figure since 2018.
The 2,000,000th tourist, Prasan Ingkanunt from Thailand, arrived on December 26 at Bandaranaike International Airport via flight UL 403 from Bangkok.
This achievement marks the fourth instance of annual tourist arrivals exceeding 2 million, with previous records in 2016, 2017, and 2018.
The tourism industry in Sri Lanka has faced significant challenges in recent yeaEaster Sunday attacks, the COVID-19 pandemic, and an economic crisis. Despite these obstacles, the sector has shown remarkable resilience and recovery under the current government.
In the first 26 days of December alone, 195,127 tourists arrived in Sri Lanka, wo exceed 250,000 by the end of the month.
The government has implemented several measures to facilitate this growth, including resolving online visa issues, ensuring tourist safety, and addressing challenges faced by service providers. Notably, free visa facilities have been introduced for 39 countries as part of a plan to attract 3 million tourists by 2025.
This resurgence in tourism is a positive indicator for Sri Lanka’s economy, reflecting the effectiveness of strategic initiatives aimed at revitalizing the sector.
For a visual overview of this achievement, following video:
