Tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka have surpassed 436,000 so far this year, reflecting a strong recovery in the country’s tourism sector, Deputy Minister of Tourism Ruwan Ranasinghe said on Thursday (19).
According to the Deputy Minister, 436,000 visitors arrived in the country between January 1 and February 15, marking a significant increase compared to the same period last year.
Speaking at a media briefing in Colombo, Ranasinghe said the government plans to launch a global tourism promotion campaign targeting 15 international markets this year, with an allocation of nearly Rs. 2 billion.
“We have been able to position Sri Lanka’s image very positively at the global level,” he said. “As a result, tourist arrivals have increased significantly. By February 15 alone, arrivals reached around 436,000, which is a very high figure compared to the previous year.”
He noted that international sporting events, particularly T20 cricket tournaments, have helped boost tourist interest, especially in Colombo.
“One of the challenges we faced was the hotel occupancy rate in Colombo,” he added. “At present, occupancy levels are close to 100 percent, with strong demand for rooms in the city.”