Tourist arrivals continue to remain steady despite security alerts
By: Isuru Parakrama
November 02, Colombo (LNW): Tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka showed resilience in the final days of October, with visitor numbers exceeding last year’s figures despite recent security advisories from multiple countries.
Official data revealed a 35 per cent rise in foreign arrivals in the last eight days of October 2024, with 37,287 tourists compared to 27,649 during the same period in 2023, reported the government’s Tourism Research and Statistics Department.
On October 23, the U.S. Embassy in Colombo advised its citizens to avoid Arugam Bay, a renowned surf spot on Sri Lanka’s eastern coast, citing credible intelligence of a potential attack. The alert was later echoed by Australia, Israel, Russia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
In response, Sri Lankan authorities increased security measures in Arugam Bay, which is known to draw a significant number of Israeli and other international tourists.
Police presence was heightened in the area, with intensified patrols to safeguard both residents and tourists amid ongoing investigations by security officials.
The heightened alert initially raised concerns among tourism stakeholders about possible trip cancellations just before the country’s peak tourism season begins.
However, Cabinet Spokesman Vijitha Herath assured the public that all necessary precautions have been taken to ensure visitor safety, and the investigations are still underway to confirm if the threat was credible or a false alarm.
Herath added that the travel warnings had not deterred many foreign visitors, with a steady influx of tourists continuing to arrive.
In total, Sri Lanka’s October 2024 tourist arrivals reached 135,907, marking a 25 percent year-on-year increase from 109,199 in October 2023, though this falls short of the 44 percent growth rate recorded in the first ten months of this year.
Tourism, which plays a pivotal role in Sri Lanka’s economic recovery efforts, has had a challenging past few years. The sector was severely affected by the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, the subsequent COVID-19 pandemic, and the unprecedented economic crisis in 2022 that led to a sovereign debt default.
Tourism remains one of the primary sources of foreign exchange revenue for the island, driving essential funds towards rebuilding the economy.
