July start signals even tougher climb to reach 3 mn tourist arrivals by year-end

TOURIST ARRIVAL GROW BY MARGINAL 0.9 PERCENT IN THE FIRST 13 DAYS OF THE MONTH

- By NISHEL FERNANDO

Sri Lanka's ambitious goal of welcoming 3 million tourists in 2025 faces further pressure after a lackluster start to July.

The island nation recorded 79,771 arrivals in the first 13 days of the month, a marginal 0.9 percent increase over the same period in 2024 (79,094). This stagnation has widened the year-to-date deficit to 252,185 tourists. Cumulative arrivals reached 1,247,815 by July 13, representing a 14.5 percent year-on-year increase but only 41.6 percent of the annual target.

To achieve its 3 million goal, Sri Lanka must now attract an unprecedented 1.75 million visitors over the next 5.5 months which requires a monthly average of 319,000 arrivals.