Tourism beyond numbers

LAST week, the tourism industry marked two million tourist arrivals for this year. It is a figure that signals renewed global confidence and a welcome boost to an economy still in recovery mode after the 2022 collapse. Yet it also comes with a sobering reminder.

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The ambitious target of three million visitors, set by the Government at the beginning of the year, will not be met. Tourism authorities have been quick to point to delays in the expansion of the Bandaranaike International Airport as the key reason for this shortfall. While infrastructure bottlenecks undoubtedly play a role, this moment calls for deeper reflection. What does it truly mean to chase numbers — and at what cost?

For too long, Sri Lanka’s tourism strategy has been dominated by arrival targets. Hitting big numbers makes for good headlines, but it risks masking the real questions. Should our aim simply be to bring more tourists, or to generate more income while protecting our environment and preserving the quality of the visitor experience? Tourism, like any ecosystem, has a carrying capacity. Beyond a certain threshold, services strain, natural resources degrade, and the overall value generated begins to diminish. Growth then becomes counterproductive.