Economy

Tourist arrivals top 156,000 in first 26 days of Novembe

Published

1 year ago

November 29, 2024

Sri Lanka’s tourist arrivals have shown strong growth, rising 18% year-on-year (YoY) in the first 26 days of November with 156,174 visitors registered.

This has also propelled the year-to-date (YTD) arrivals to surpass 1.77 million, marking a 41% YoY increase compared to the same period in 2023. Sri Lanka needs to woo another 223,111 tourists in the next month to reach its annual goal of two million arrivals.

The daily arrival average climbed to 6,007 — an 18% jump from 5,105 during the same period last year and significantly higher than October’s 4,384 average.

The industry analysts opined that if the current pace continues, Sri Lanka could see just over 180,000 arrivals in November though still missing the monthly target of 155,070 set by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA). The country requires nearly 10,473 daily arrivals to reach the monthly target.

October registered a 25% YoY increase to 135,907 arrivals, rebounding from September’s single-digit growth, the first slowdown for the year amid visa crisis and travel advisories.

India remained the leading source market in November, contributing 32,306 visitors, followed by Russia with 25,573 and Germany with 11,394. The UK which had ranked higher earlier in the year fell to fourth place with 10,268 arrivals, while Australia ranked fifth with 6,446 visitors. Other key markets included China, France, Poland, the US and the Netherlands.

India also leads the cumulative arrivals with 357,279 visitors, followed by Russia at 163,172 and the UK at 156,938.

Analysts predict tourist arrivals could exceed two million by year end, slightly below the original target of 2.3 million. “Despite this, consistent growth trajectory reflects strong recovery in the tourism sector, driven by robust demand from traditional and emerging markets.

Sri Lanka Tourism is also leveraging the country’s year-round appeal to attract a diverse mix of visitors with a new national branding campaign which is set to be launched in January 2025. Looking ahead, the sector’s focus will be on capitalising on its momentum by implementing targeted marketing campaigns and improving infrastructure to meet the growing demand.

Economy

Sri Lanka to Launch First Digital Motor Insurance Card from May 1

Published

1 day ago

April 25, 2026

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Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development has announced that the country’s first digital motor insurance card will be introduced from May 1.

The Ministry stated that this initiative represents a significant step toward advancing national digitalization while also enhancing public safety.

By replacing physical plastic cards, the move is also expected to contribute to environmental sustainability across the country.

The Ministry added that the digital motor insurance card will be officially launched in collaboration with the Insurance Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka, the Insurance Association of Sri Lanka, and the Sri Lanka Police.

Economy

Sri Lanka Confirms Hackers Diverted USD 2.5M Meant for Australian Debt Repayment

Published

3 days ago

April 24, 2026

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Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Finance has revealed that cyber hackers infiltrated the computer system of the External Resources Department, leading to the fraudulent diversion of a foreign debt repayment of nearly USD 2.5 million intended for Australia.

Addressing the issue, Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, said the intrusion was first detected in January 2026, when officials became aware that hackers had attempted to gain unauthorized access to the External Resources Department’s systems and compromise them. Upon identifying the threat, the Ministry immediately alerted law‑enforcement authorities.

He said reports were lodged with the Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SL‑CERT) and the Computer Crimes Investigation Division of the Sri Lanka Police to investigate the attempted system breach. In parallel, ministry officials instructed the External Resources Department to conduct an internal review to determine whether any further damage had occurred beyond the initial incident.

Subsequent investigations revealed that the cyberattack had taken place earlier than first detected. A review of previous months’ transactions uncovered that hackers had intercepted email communications linked to a government‑to‑government debt repayment involving Australia.

Economy

Hackers hit Sri Lanka Finance Ministry as USD 2.5M storm erupts

Published

4 days ago

April 23, 2026

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The Government is facing scrutiny following reports that $ 2.5 million (nearly Rs. 800 million) of Treasury funds was diverted during a foreign debt repayment, with the amount yet to reach the intended creditor country.

The funds were part of a bilateral payment to Australia amounting $ 22.9 million, with settlement due in September 2025.

The Treasury has appointed a Technical Investigation Committee to probe a suspected fraudulent payment involving $ 2.5 million linked to a bilateral transaction with Australia. The committee includes two Deputy Secretaries to the Treasury and will be co-chaired by A.N. Hapugala and S.S. Mudalige. The other members are National Planning Department Director General K.T.I. Premaratne, Legal Affairs Department Additional Director General A.K.D.D. Arandara, and Information Technology Management Department Assistant Director E.D. Shirantha.

The Committee has been tasked with probing the risk of fraudulent payment instructions received via email, which may have contributed to the disappearance of the funds remitted to Australia. It has been directed to carry out a comprehensive investigation into the incident and submit its report at the earliest.

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