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Last Updated : 2024-05-12 17:25:00
3 November 2023 07:31 am - 16 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Sri Lanka has not met its monthly tourist arrivals targets for three consecutive months, with October falling short as well, the data released by the tourism authority showed.
Provisional data released by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) showed that for the 31 days of October, tourist arrivals totaled 109,998, significantly down from an arrival target of 147,789.
October arrivals are also lower than that achieved in September, despite the SLTDA having projected higher numbers.
While tourist arrivals were expected to increase month-on-month from September, data shows a decline in the rate of arrivals.
While SLTDA and the Ministry of Tourism maintain their confidence in Sri Lanka exceeding the 1.55 million arrivals target by the end of 2023, analysts have recently voiced differing opinions.
For the first 10 months of the year ending October 31, Sri Lanka has drawn a total of 1,125,455 international visitors, realising 72 percent of the yearly target. Sri Lanka would have to bring in at least 212,272 tourists in the next two months.
For November, SLTDA forecasts arrivals to total 204, 114, and 242, 135 for December.
For the month of October, India ranked as the largest tourist traffic generator for Sri Lanka, accounting for 26 percent of the total arrivals with 28,222 visitors.
The Russian Federation ranked second, contributing 10 percent with 10,629 arrivals, followed by the United Kingdom, which accounted for 8 percent of the total arrivals with 8,454 international visitors.
Other key markets included Germany, China, Australia, Maldives, United States, France, and Spain.
Citizen k Friday, 03 November 2023 08:07 AM
With all these mishandling of protesters and tear gassing does not give tourist confidence to come here.They look for stable countries.This is like cutting your nose to spite your face.
Nilmini Welivita Friday, 03 November 2023 08:23 AM
Good excuse for sleazy Harin to go around the world condemning competing nations like Maldives.
This is reality Friday, 03 November 2023 08:28 AM
The first question is why has tourist arrivals dropped? No. 2. How can the sector exactly forecast the number of arrivals. Generally, budgeting is one thing, factuality is another. Besides, very often the Ministry gives boastful figures, which now seem to be all made up. Stop the gibbering and be more innovative to make the country more attractive-looking to increase the inflow.
Nothing is Impossible Friday, 03 November 2023 08:36 AM
Be proactive and see how to divert the middle eastern tourism potential which may be canceling tours due to the Israel hamas war to sri lanka. Heritage tours.
Gamarala Friday, 03 November 2023 08:51 AM
When you set minimum price, it creates the deadweight phenomena - essentially reduction in tourism arrivals in this case
Ruwan Friday, 03 November 2023 08:57 AM
Irrespective of the targets, aren't these three months the off-season for tourism?
Kannanpalam Friday, 03 November 2023 12:19 PM
This is one of the reasons that Northern airport runway should be extended to attract tourist from North end of Sri Lanka. Jaffna airport is 270 km from Katunayake.However politicians don’t have the required intelligence to understand.
Umar Friday, 03 November 2023 03:22 PM
The CoL has increased across the world and with electricity, VAT etc going up, the costs are passed onto all industries including the tourist trade. So of course numbers will decline
Kevin Friday, 03 November 2023 03:57 PM
How stupid can you be? I have been a regular visitor to Sri Lanka and other SE Asia countries for many years. Before I go on holiday I carry out research and due diligence. Sri Lanka is not good value. High visa price with an absolute ripoff $100 extension fee if I want to spend more than a month. All prices are higher than other countries. Tourist price in shops and visitor attractions are far too high. Sri Lanka has priced itself out of the market offering a poor and expensive experience. No thank you.
Gurung Friday, 03 November 2023 04:01 PM
Cost of flights is a major problem. Sri Lanakan Airlines want over 1 million rupees in December for a return UK flight. Even now its 500k. That's why the planes full of Sri Lankans on British passports visiting family and not actual tourists. No tourist in there right mind would pay those figures especially with a family when they can go to so many other countries for far less. Thats why all u get is single backpackers. Your Airlines greed to recoup their dept using knackered dirty planes will see you all fail. That and thinking white people are cash cows all the time giving free entry to others and allowing Sri Lankans on foreign passports visiting to obtain local rates.
John kidd Friday, 03 November 2023 04:14 PM
A good reason why tourists do not come to Sri lanka is the tourist board fail to answer emails and the 3 I sent were to the managing directors office and the director generals officeThey were received but because the tourist board has not got a clue as to how to attract tourism they are absolutely useless. Maybe another reason is that the government's website for extending visas is also useless and tourists have to spend at least 1 day of their holidays attending the immigration dept to do so. Maybe another reason is the European tourists have seen certain countries (who sri lanka are heavily in debt to )been given free visas These all add up especially when they are excellent alternatives not that far away. This is written by a regular tourist who apart from 2021( the covid year ) who has visited sri lanka every year since 2010
Samanmala Dorabawila Friday, 03 November 2023 04:41 PM
This amount would increase if the authorities can enforce charges for tourists at historical and cultural places the same amount as the locals and stop them being harassed at theses places. They leave the country extremely frustrated and if you ask them at these places if they would recommend Sri Lanka to their friends they would say no. So please take this to consideration if any authority personnel read this.
Alfred Baker Friday, 03 November 2023 06:11 PM
The baggage handlers are a nuisance. They harass you to part with dollars ,Euros and Pound sterling. Last time I had thousands of Sri Lankan rupees during my return holiday. These handlers as soon as they saw me taking out rupees out of my wallet just said he does not need the money in a threatening manner and went away. Strict tipping money should be displayed in and around the airport to maintain discipline.They should be policed. I went to the toilet.As I was washing my hands he stood behind me gave me some tissues and asked for a tip for using the wash room and for a few pieces of tissues. This never happens in other countries. The wash room attendants should stay out and go and clean them at intervals. Sri Lanka has to learn a lot. The immigration officers were wonderful. Kind and courteous.
Samuel Friday, 03 November 2023 06:33 PM
Nilmini Welivita Didn't Harin apologise for saying that, although he didn't mean it in a bad way. Get your head examined for it's obvious that it's fill of muck. Might require hospitalization.
Dravid Bakmeena Friday, 03 November 2023 07:46 PM
whoever who set these targets has no idea or trends but simply decided to set these levels, firstly months of sep/oct are shoulder off peak next weakest being May/June. The European winter demand starts from middle Nov running all the way till end March next year when numbers will be good. Targets should have been set accordingly. Other thing noticed as clearly seen is Jul/Aug is really not tourism peak months but actual Sri Lankan expats now holding foreign nationalities coming to Sri Lanka for mostly their summer school holidays overseas , where families spend over 2 months in Sri Lanka. so these figures as always said is never the real tourists who spend money on tourism ,just based on what passport they hold, so hundreds of so called tourists are former sri Lankans coming back home for a summer or Christmas break. Despite our country being so sophisticated in systems and procedures it's sad that immigration
Dr. Thomas Friday, 03 November 2023 07:54 PM
The Global economic recession affecting all nations will certainly impact the tourist industry. Also in the affluent industrialized countries more people will seek to spend their holidays closer to home in their own country.
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