As the recovery of tourism is accelerating, Sri Lanka plans to significantly increase the number of tourists to 3 million by 2025 from 2.1 million in 2024, while generating US$5 billion in tourism revenue. Sri Lanka’s main source markets are India, Russia, the United Kingdom, Germany and China. Sri Lanka’s tourism revenue is growing rapidly, surging to US$2.1 billion in 2023 from US$1.1 billion in the previous year, reaching US$2.8 billion in January-November 2024, well above the US$1.8 billion in the same period in 2023. From January to November 2024 alone, Sri Lanka received 1.8 million visitors, also up from 1.3 million in the same period in 2023.

Before the pandemic, China was Sri Lanka’s second largest source of visitors. In 2023, the total number of Chinese tourists visiting Sri Lanka will be 68,789, making it the fifth largest source of overseas tourists to Sri Lanka. The first quarter of 2024 will see a rapid recovery in the number of Chinese tourists, reaching 39,212, more than seven times the number of the same period in 2023. Cathay Pacific’s launch of direct flights from Hong Kong to Colombo has further stimulated the enthusiasm of tourists from the southwest region to participate in Sri Lanka tourism, and it is expected that the pull effect of direct flights will be more significant in 2025.

Check out more of our expert opinions on the dynamic landscape of Asian tourism in our Market Insight section. If you’d like to learn more about how to raise your profile and attract more Chinese visitors then reach out to us at Guanxi. Whether you’re looking to expand your reach in China or need expert advice on navigating the Chinese market, our team is here to help you. For more information, email us at [email protected] or visit our ‘Contact‘ page.