Bangladesh : Sri Lanka’s second fastest growing tourism source market

- A Monitor Report Date: 01 February, 2025
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Dhaka : Bangladesh posted an impressive 121.64 per cent year-on-year growth, securing its position as Sri Lanka’s second fastest growing tourism source market in 2024. However, with a score of 39,555, the country ranked 13th in total arrivals last year, according to reports by Daily FT of Sri Lanka.

Despite traditional markets like India and Russia who dominate in the number of total arrivals in Sri Lanka, a deeper understanding of growth, as per the reports, reveals new markets showcasing notable increases.

The reports show unconventional markets outpaced traditional powerhouses in growth. For instance, Poland emerged as the top performer, recording a staggering 146.09 per cent YoY increase in visitor numbers to Sri Lanka.

Despite ranking 11th in terms of total arrivals, Poland's performance highlights its untapped potential in the Eastern European market and growing significance within Sri Lanka’s tourism mix, added the report.

China, long considered as a key generating market for Sri Lanka, registered a robust 91.42 per cent YoY increase, placing it third in growth rankings.

Italy followed closely with a 74.03 per cent YoY increase, reflecting a renewed European interest in the island nation, while Netherlands rounded out the top five with a 72.48 per cent surge in growth during 2024.

Other markets also demonstrated substantial YoY growth. Malaysia saw a 66.90 per cent YoY rise, while the Czech Republic registered a 59.91 per cent YoY increase, highlighting the diversity of emerging tourist markets. Spain, France, and Japan followed suit, registering a 58.66 per cent, 57.81 per cent, and 55.38 per cent YoY growth, respectively.

Traditional strongholds like India, the UK, and Germany posted more moderate growth rates.

India registered only a 37.68 per cent YoY growth, whilst the UK and Germany, which ranked third and fourth in total arrivals, grew by 37.09 per cent and 32.71 per cent YoY, respectively.

Resurgence of non-traditional markets such as Australia, the US, Israel, Switzerland, and the Maldives reflected evolving travel patterns, registering 32.82 per cent, 28.45 per cent, 27.29 per cent, 26.63 per cent, and 26.50 per cent YoY growth, respectively. Switzerland was the only country that retained its arrivals and growth rank at 17th.

Interestingly, Russia experienced only a modest 2.23 per cent YoY increase.

Canada saw a decline of 3.94 per cent YoY in visitor numbers, reflecting the only negative trend among the top 20 markets and otherwise promising 2024.

The rising significance of markets such as Poland, Bangladesh, China, Italy, and Netherlands suggests a shift away from over-reliance on traditional source markets. Sustained growth in established markets like India, UK, France, Australia, Germany, and Japan offers stability.

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