July 2023 records 143,039 tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka
July 2023’s 143,039 tourist arrivals is not only the highest number to be recorded in a single month in the seven months of the current year, but are by far, the largest monthly arrivals total since the country opened its doors to international travelers since the Covid-19 outbreak.
It is an over two hundred percent increase in numbers over that of July 2022’s 47,293 total visitors. Flattering as it may seem, it is important to recall that last July’s dismal performance was at a time the island was grappling with the peak of the economic crisis.
The highest number of tourists, during July, came from India with 23,461 arrivals (16%), trailed by the United Kingdom’s 17,482 (12%) in 2nd spot and China moving up to the 3rd place by accounting for 10,062 tourists (7%). Germany with 8,013 (6%), followed closely by the Russian Federation with 8,009 (6%) arrivals occupied the 4th and 5th places, respectively. Other notable contributions to make it to the top 10 source markets to Sri Lanka, included France (5%), Netherlands (5%), the Maldives (4%), Canada (4%) and Australia (4%), in that order.
What is of significance and perhaps a milestone reached, is where the cumulative figure of tourist arrivals for the first seven months of 2023 (January-July) thus climbed to 767,913 as against the 719,978 total visitors who arrived during the entirety of 2022. This is 6.6 per cent higher compared to tourists who came during the full year of 2022.
Arrivals from 1 January to 31 July 2023, according to the statistics, saw a 67 per cent growth compared to 458,670 arrivals during the same period last year.
Hospitality Sri Lanka
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