AMN
Sri Lanka’s tourism industry is on the rise, with the island nation welcoming a growing number of visitors from around the world. India is playing an important role in this trend, with increasing numbers of Indian tourists exploring Sri Lanka’s diverse landscapes, cultures, and heritage sites.
According to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, SLTDA, over 1.25 lakh tourist arrivals have been recorded in March 2023, in comparison to the 1.06 lakh reported in March 2022.
Further, the tourist arrivals for the month of March from India jumped 38 percent to about 19,000 compared to February when around 13,700 Indian tourists had visited the island. The agency’s data reveals that India is now the second-largest source market for Sri Lanka, following Russia for the year 2023.
Experts attribute this growth to the improving relations between India and Sri Lanka, as well as the increasing availability of direct flights between the two countries. Alliance Air announced the launch of new direct flights between Chennai and Jaffna in December last year, further boosting the connectivity between the two nations. Similarly, Vistara, a joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, started direct flights between Colombo and Mumbai from March this year.
Furthermore, Sri Lanka’s government has been working to promote the country’s tourism industry through initiatives to promote Ramayana trail. In 2022, the government launched a “Visit Sri Lanka” campaign, which aimed to attract more tourists to the country. The government has revised the target for the year from 1.55 million to 2 million tourist arrivals led by India.
Chairman of SLTDA, Priyantha Fernando said Authorities had allowed tourists to bring up to 10,000 Indian rupees and spend the money in Sri Lanka. In addition, the two countries have been exploring ways to promote digital transactions using UPI which could further enhance confidence among Indian tourists.
The increasing collaboration and investment between the two nations is expected to further boost tourism, leading to mutual benefits for both Sri Lanka and India.