Sri Lanka sees spike in tourist arrivals this year

20 March 2024 12:17 pm - 24 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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Colombo, March 20 (Daily Mirror) - Owing to President Ranil Wickremesinghe's economic initiatives and the peaceful environment fostered within the country, the arrival of foreign tourists has risen, Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Ltd. Chairman Athula Galkatiya said.

Consequently, the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), Katunayake has seen a notable increase in air passenger usage.

The Chairman said that from January 1 to March 19, 2024, the number of air passengers who utilized BIA services amounted to 850,000.

He noted that it is anticipated approximately 10 million passengers will utilize the airport by the end of this year.

The total number of passengers using the BIA in 2022 was 5 million, with a projected increase to 8 million in 2023, the chairman said

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Comments - 24

Rambo not the solution Need a Team Wednesday, 20 March 2024 12:51 PM

A country that has to depend on an aging President to have tourism success is a frightening situation. Tourism stakeholders should by now take matters into their own control and drive the sector development in a long term and sustainable manner.

Raven Wednesday, 20 March 2024 05:07 PM

So now it's his age that's a problem eh? Hahaha. Its thanks to the president that the hotels are making bigger profits after they were told to increase their room rates, especially city hotels. They are making huge profits bringing in more dollars to boost their employees service charge.

Jayantha Wednesday, 20 March 2024 05:55 PM

Stupidity is in a highest order. The Leader of the country has to make sure that the country is peaceful and stable regardless the age of the leader. No tourist will come to a country which is not peaceful and stable.

Harshana Wednesday, 20 March 2024 08:34 PM

Any team needs a capable leader. RW although senior in age has provided that strong leadership, including the often omitted international relations. An area that was in the doldrums have been skillfully nurtured and rebuilt by RW. This is not related to tourism as such, but is another critical area that unfortunately no one else can currently come anywhere close to in terms of capability.

Dee Wednesday, 20 March 2024 10:43 PM

Oh yes baby! Dying to see AKD’s topless parade from Galle to Colombo! Way to go JVP- take it all off!

Premalal Perera Wednesday, 20 March 2024 01:02 PM

The problem is that our national airline is up and down. Mostly down.

Mizaru Wednesday, 20 March 2024 01:04 PM

They buy a 3rd class ticket and travel 1st class on Sri Lanka’s cheap railway system. How many dollars are flowing in from these donkey bed tourist?

Lionel Wednesday, 20 March 2024 02:53 PM

What's wrong with buying 3rd class tickets. A typical SL stupid mentality. These tourists are travellers, not people like you hete to show off by spending money. They want to travel thexworld and understand whete stupid people live. This mentality in SL is the main reason where it is now. Country is only as good as its citizens.

Iwazaru Wednesday, 20 March 2024 03:58 PM

The issue is these low end tourist buy 3rd class tickets and want to travel first class. Two British tourists boarded the train at Kandy and was caught red handed by the railway ticket inspectors. They where ask to move to their more familiar 3rd class but refused and continued to travel 1st class. These very off loaded at Nawalapitiya and handed over to the railway security. It was reported the two tourist were beaten by the station staff.

Tourist spends more than Sri Lankan’s Wednesday, 20 March 2024 10:22 PM

Seems you have not been a tourist to another country yet by the way you have written your comments! Every tourist to any country brings in FOREIGN money. They pay taxes for arrival and departure at the airport. VAT is paid at lodgings, food and beverage consumption etc. Those having a little extra will go on more organised tours and pay a hefty amount which a typical Sri Lankan won’t. So, as long as they are tourist, they definitely brings the much needed FOREX.

Dee Wednesday, 20 March 2024 10:49 PM

Our people bust their entire years savings or credit card to go to MAA,BKK,KUL or SIN for 2-3 nights, shop at ordinary budget malls, go to a cheap salon and get hair straightened , eat the b’fast and pack extras in handbags for lunch and brag about the ‘tour’ for the coming 2-3 years on FB! What’s the difference?

Zeylan Nagathivu Wednesday, 20 March 2024 01:10 PM

Sri Lanka could have achieved more if not for the poor decisions made by their leaders based on insular thinking.

We achieve more than those in other nations Wednesday, 20 March 2024 07:16 PM

The tourists pretend like they have answers. No, they can't even stand their own countries, so have to flee to a better nation.

Janaka Wednesday, 20 March 2024 01:33 PM

Will AKD travels be included in the statistics too?

Terrence K Wednesday, 20 March 2024 05:59 PM

It was an experience and very surprising to see reputed Hotels like Nippon Kafe at Slave Island which has short eats for sale at the counter charges a service charge and added to that a turnover tax. When questioned why should a service charge be applied since the items were displayed in an enclosure and we personally as customers carried the items in trays to the place where chairs and tables were available. The Tourism Ministry and the Consumer affairs authority should ensure that these hotels do not fleece customers especially erstwhil Sri Lankans living abroad who patronize these places and the question would arise what would they do when foreigners of other countries visit these places they will skin them dry. Over to you Minister of Tourism. Also this could have a debilitating effect for promoting tourism!!!!!!!

So many Israeli and Ukrainians come here to start illegal businesses Wednesday, 20 March 2024 07:16 PM

What statistics are there of these new arrivals, and illegal activities. More drug dealing, and many other outside of law activities happening with these so called pale skinned tourists.

Tourist Thursday, 21 March 2024 01:59 AM

These are not Tourists in true sense who come with their money to spend and see what this country can offer for them. In fact these are 'Trash White' with little or no money in their pockets who have run away from Army conscription either in Russia or Ukraine. They survive here selling 'kuddu' or their flesh. This government keeps fooling people by mere statistical massage of numbers. Why don't they really look at the returns to the country per 1000 tourist arrival?

SEVERAL PHOTOS ARE TAKEN DAILY AT THE BIA WHAT MAKES US WANT TO THINK A PHOTO IS PROOF OF THE NUMBERS SUPPOSEDLY HAVING ARRIVES IN THE COUNTRY THIS YEAR Wednesday, 20 March 2024 07:56 PM

CORRUPTION CONTINUES AND POCKETS ARE FILLED, WHILE WE SEE AND HEAR FIGURES OF ARRIVALS WHAT IS THE TOTAL OF EXPENDITURE OF THESE HUGE SO CALLED ARRIVALS IN THE COUNTRY? ECONOMISTS AREREGULARY CHANGING THEIR MINDS, APPEAR TO BE FICKLE AND TRYING TO RUN WITH THE HARE AND HUNT WITH THE HOUNDS.

Returning Sri Lankan. Wednesday, 20 March 2024 10:46 PM

Many tourists arriving are Sri Lankan’s who have migrated and are returning for the big matches and auvuruddu with families. They don’t stay in hotels. This is not the result of the great work being done by the tourist board but by politicians who chased us out from our own land.

Punchi Thursday, 21 March 2024 04:34 AM

The Israeli tourists are actually Israeli state and private intelligence operatives to establish cells to obtain information on Pakistan to possibly bomb Pakistani nuclear and other assets in event of an escalated Jew vs Islam war, spy on Indian assets to provide the information to the US and also sell the information to China, spy on Chinese military assets in our paradise and provide information to the US to maintain the supply of US bombs etc

P Kunchithapathan Thursday, 21 March 2024 05:49 AM

President Ranil Wickremesinghe finds himself surrounded by notorious crooks and scammers who continue to impede the economic prosperity of the country. Despite the country's Treasury holding a mere 4 billion USD, these mafia elements persist in their efforts to import luxurious vehicles, further burdening the nation. The vehicle import association is backed by certain crooks working closely with the president is behind the scene. The government, meanwhile, continues to rely on IMF loans and shows a lack of direction in promoting entrepreneurship to enhance national productivity.

Hadiran Thursday, 21 March 2024 08:34 AM

RW is yet to initiate local production in whatever field namely agriculture, industrial and service sector to correct our balance of payments issue in favour of Sri Lanka. Tourism is only one positive sign to in this regard ..

Geet Thursday, 21 March 2024 09:53 AM

These figures are manupulated to misguide people from the reql picture. They always compare pandemic period(2021/2022) figures against current context. By now all the countries are back to normal after Covid pandemic. But Sri Lanka never recovers. Still SL is not paying the debts back. Its a huge amount. They hold loan repayment and shows it as strength of LKR currency. Utter bulshits. People can not understand the real situation

SL Paradise Monday, 25 March 2024 05:44 PM

Our roadways are cluttered with dirt. Garbage is piled up like mountains in many places. Why is the Gov paying salaries to the staff of the Municipality for not doing their job properly. The food outlets are not monitored and they serve customers low quality food. McDonalds has closed down for the very reason. Some foreigners have vowed not to have a 2nd trip to Siri Lanka.

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Sri Lanka sees spike in tourist arrivals this year

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