Sri Lanka recorded 113,307 tourist arrivals in the first 16 days of August, according to the latest figures from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA).
India remained the largest source market for the month with 25,355 arrivals, or roughly 22% of the total. The United Kingdom followed with 12,738 arrivals and France with 8,106.
Year to date
The figures take total arrivals between January 1 and August 16 to 1,456,725.
India also leads the year-to-date table with 363,585 arrivals, ahead of the United Kingdom on 143,139.
Pace easing slightly
The month-to-date count extends from the 93,511 arrivals recorded over the first 13 days of August, when the year’s cumulative total stood at 1,436,926. That works out at close to 6,600 arrivals a day over the three days since, against about 7,200 a day over the first 13 days of the month.
Arrivals in early August were running about 8% below last year’s level, with long-haul markets affected by Gulf airspace disruption while Indian travellers continue to arrive on short-haul routes. The government has cut its target for the year to 2.5 million from 3 million.
The second half of the month takes in the Kandy Esala Perahera, which runs until August 28 and traditionally draws additional visitors to the hill capital.
