Sri Lanka welcomes two millionth tourist in 2024

A couple from Thailand who arrived onboard a SriLankan Airlines flight today marked the two millionth tourist arrival in Sri Lanka for 2024, Sri Lanka Tourism said.

Sri Lanka marks a record-breaking year in 2024, celebrating the arrival of its two millionth tourist, showcasing its appeal as a vibrant tropical destination.

The Sri Lankan Ministry of Tourism announced today (December 26) its readiness to celebrate the arrival of the two millionth foreign tourist for the year 2024.

Deputy Minister of Tourism, Professor Ruwan Ranasinghe, shared that the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) has planned a special ceremony at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake this morning to commemorate the milestone.

By December 22, Sri Lanka had welcomed 1,966,256 international visitors since the start of the year. December alone saw 161,383 foreign tourists, with India contributing the highest number at 35,131 arrivals.

In addition, Sri Lanka received 22,637 tourists from Russia, 12,822 from the United Kingdom, 9,998 from Germany, and 8,646 from Australia during December.

Throughout 2024, India remained the top source market with 399,224 visitors, followed by Russia with 189,289. The United Kingdom sent 172,404 tourists, while Germany, China, and France contributed 131,379, 120,268, and 86,440 arrivals respectively.

Professor Ranasinghe also highlighted that Sri Lanka is on track to surpass 2.1 million foreign arrivals by the end of the year.