In 2023, it is expected that tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka will exceed 1.5 million, as stated by Chairman Priyantha Fernando of Sri Lanka’s Tourism Development Authority.

On September 26, the millionth tourist for the year was welcomed by Sri Lanka.

At an event commemorating World Tourism Day, it was mentioned by Fernando that the targets set for 2023 were being surpassed, and up to the present, one million tourists have been achieved.

The initial target set for 2023, which was 1,550,000 tourists, will be exceeded, according to him.

In April 2023, it was announced that the arrival target for 2023 would be revised to 2.0 million, based on strong first-quarter arrivals.

In May, the United Nations World Tourism Organization cited its own tourism barometer on the global tourism sector and reported that in the first quarter of 2023, international arrivals reached 80 percent of pre-pandemic levels.

An estimated 235 million tourists worldwide traveled internationally during the first three months of 2023.

In the first 20 days of September, 75,222 tourists were welcomed by Sri Lanka, according to official data.

Up until August 2023, it was estimated that Sri Lanka had earned 1,304 million US dollars from tourism, reflecting a 56 percent increase from the previous year, as per tourism survey data.

It was expressed by Fernando that the sector aspired to become the largest foreign exchange earner for the economy by 2027.

In a statement released in May, it was stated by UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili that international tourism receipts had grown to reach the USD 1 trillion mark in 2022, showing a 50 percent growth in real terms compared to 2021, driven by the significant rebound in international travel. International visitor spending reached 64 percent of pre-pandemic levels (-36 percent compared to 2019, measured in real terms).

The UNWTO Panel of Experts claimed that the economic situation was the main fluctuating factor affecting international tourism in 2023, with high inflation and rising oil prices resulting in higher transport and accommodation costs. (Colombo/Sept29/2023)

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