Tourism & Leisure

Overview

Tourism & Leisure industry is the third largest foreign exchange earner in the Sri Lankan economy. The government of Sri Lanka has positioned tourism as a central pillar of the economy valuing Sri Lanka’s exceptional island-wide natural and cultural endowments.

The government is determined to nurture world-class visitor experiences firmly rooted in the inherent natural, cultural, historic and social capital of Sri Lanka and its people, and to ensure that these experiences generate island-wide economic value. The industry is poised to offer great growth and investment potential. As a result, Sri Lanka has become an increasingly popular destination among international travelers.

Potential areas for investment

Tourist Accommodation & Services (Hotels / Resorts / Villas/ Higher-end restaurants)
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

International Brands

STATISTICS	2016	2018	2019	2030*
Tourists arrivals	2.0 Mn	2.3 Mn	1.9 Mn	7.0 Mn
Earnings from tourism	USD 3.5 Bn	USD 4.3 Bn	USD 3.6 Bn	USD 10 Bn
Average spending per day	USD 168	USD 174	USD 181	--
Employment generated. (Direct/ Indirect)	335,659	388,487	402,607	--
Accommodation capacity (Graded)	21,888	24,757	24,831	--

Source : SLTDA

(* Government Targets – Seven-member task force appointed by Tourism Hon. Minister Prasanna Ranatunga)

Tourist arrivals by region and percentage share : January - September 2020

Europe became the largest source of tourist traffic to Sri Lanka with 55.4 % of the total traffic received from January to September 2020. Asia and Pacific accounted for 35.7% of the total traffic, Americas 6.3 %, Middle East 2.0 % and Africa 0.6%.

Europe

Asia & Pacific

America

Middle East

Africa

Source : SLTDA

Top Ten Source Markets – January - September 2020

India, United Kingdom, Russia, Germany and China were Sri Lanka’s top five international tourist generating markets in the period from January to September 2020. India was the largest source of tourist traffic to Sri Lanka with 17.6 % of the total traffic received in above period. United Kingdom accounted for 10.9 % of the total traffic; while Russian Federation, Germany and China accounted for 9.7 %, 6.8 % and 5.2 % respectively.