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 literacy hits record 97.4%, gender gap closes for first time

Published

3 days ago

April 12, 2026

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Sri Lanka has achieved a historic education milestone, with literacy rising to 97.4% in 2024, up from 95.7% in 2012.

For the first time since 1881, the literacy gender gap has closed, with males at 97.9% and females at 97.0%.

Digital literacy has reached 67.6%, while computer literacy stands at 34.7%, highlighting Sri Lanka’s growing digital transformation.

Economy

$ 900 m in four months: Port City Colombo signals new investment era

Published

4 days ago

April 11, 2026

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From November 2025 to March, Port City Colombo secured approximately $ 900 million in investments, an almost unprecedented surge for a project that had seen gradual traction in its early years amid broader macroeconomic challenges. The timing is not accidental.

After a prolonged period marked by the Easter Sunday attacks, the global shock of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Sri Lanka’s economic collapse, the project remained largely in a holding pattern.

International marketing efforts began to gain momentum from late 2025 onwards, as conditions began to stabilise.

“The macro story had to align first,” Aluwihare explained. “You cannot market a country when the fundamentals are unstable. Now, we are seeing recovery, policy alignment, and growing confidence, and we are finally seeing the results.”

From real estate to a ring-fenced financial ecosystem

Port City Colombo’s most significant transformation has been conceptual rather than physical. Originally envisioned as a waterfront real estate development, it has evolved into a fully ring-fenced services export Special Economic Zone (SEZ), enabled by the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Act.

Economy

Sri Lanka’s Official Reserves fall 3.5%in March – CBSL

Published

6 days ago

April 9, 2026

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Sri Lanka’s Official Reserve Assets have decreased by 3.5% to USD 7,019 million in March 2026, according to the latest data of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.

The CBSL states that the decrease is from USD 7,270 million reported in February 2026.

The CBSL further states that the figure for March includes the swap arrangement with the People’s Bank of China.