By: Staff Writer
September 26, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka’s tourism sector experienced a notable surge in employment in 2023, with overall employment, including indirect jobs, rising by 11.24% compared to the previous year.
Provisional data from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) revealed that the total number of employees in the sector reached 429,641, a reflection of the ongoing recovery and growth within the industry.
Direct employment in the tourism sector also saw significant growth, increasing by 7.3% year-on-year to an all-time high of 204,591 employees. Hotels and restaurants played a crucial role in this expansion, accounting for 80.9% of direct employment, underscoring the vital role of hospitality services in the country’s tourism sector.
Travel agents and tour operators contributed 7.4% to employment figures, while the airline industry made up 4.2%. Tourist guides represented 3.6%, and the public sector employed 1.1% of the workforce in tourism-related activities.
These statistics are based on a comprehensive survey conducted by the SLTDA, covering 6,569 tourism establishments across the country.
The findings highlight the dominance of the hospitality sector in job creation, while other vital segments such as travel agencies, airlines, and tour guides represent smaller portions of the workforce.
The reliance on hospitality reflects the industry’s broader structure, where hotels and restaurants serve as the primary employment hubs.
The report also noted that the annual room occupancy rate in graded accommodation facilities rose to 39% in 2023, an improvement from the 30.4% recorded in 2022.
However, this figure remains below pre-pandemic levels, where room occupancy rates averaged in the mid-70s. At the same time, the number of graded rooms increased slightly to 26,422, compared to 25,597 the previous year, indicating a modest growth in accommodation capacity.
Despite the positive employment figures, there were challenges within the tourism sector. The average length of stay for tourists declined slightly, from nine nights in 2022 to 8.4 nights in 2023.
Additionally, the average daily receipt per tourist remained stagnant at US$164.4, still below the pre-pandemic average of US$181.2 recorded in 2019.
Indirect employment within the tourism sector, driven by ancillary industries such as handicrafts, gems, and jewellery, witnessed a 14.98% increase, reaching 225,050 in 2023. This marks a near recovery to pre-pandemic levels, as indirect employment had reached 229,015 in 2019.
These figures demonstrate the broader economic impact of tourism on related industries and highlight the sector’s ability to drive job creation beyond traditional hospitality services.
