Tourism & Leisure
300% YoY growth in arrivals
$ 181 Foreign exchange receipts per tourist per day
400K Total employment generation
192 BOI Enterprises
Blessed with natural and cultural endowments throughout the island, Sri Lanka is home to a rich and diverse Tourism & Leisure industry which is the economy’s third largest foreign exchange earner. Accordingly, the government has positioned tourism as a central pillar of the economy which is poised for resurgence in the wake of increasing tourist arrivals with a focus on investments that provide world-class visitor experiences in established sub-sectors and new offerings.
Potential areas for investment
- Tourist Accommodation & Services (Hotels, Transit Hotels, Resorts, Villas, Higher-end restaurants, Convention Centres, MICE Tourism, Wellness Tourism)
- Leisure & Recreational (Golf Course, Entertainment Complexes, Theme Parks, Tourist
- Shopping Complexes, Eco-Lodges, Camping, Whale & Dolphin Watching, water Sports)
- Adventure & Eco Tourism (Adventure parks)
- Transportation (Yacht Marina, Coastal Ferry Services, Cruise Lines)
- Skill Development: Hotel / Hospitality Training Institutes
Global players in Sri Lanka
Global Rankings
Tourists Arrivals (Mn) (2011 - 2023 March)
Source : SLTDA
Tourist arrivals by purpose of visit, December 2022
Source : SLTDA
Number of Establishments
Source : SLTDA
Distribution of employment in the tourism industry -2021
Source : SLTDA