Sri Lanka’s tourism revenue ups significantly in May

Dhaka: Sri Lanka's estimated tourism revenue in May 2023 saw a remarkable growth of over 200 per cent year-on-year, reaching USD 131.5 million, according to reports citing the latest data from the country's central bank.

This impressive increase occurred despite the fact that May is considered an off-peak month for tourist arrivals, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) Chairman Priantha Fernando said to the media on June 3.

The estimated revenue from tourism in May 2022 was USD 43.5 million, data showed.

For the first five months of 2023, the tourism revenue totaled USD 827.8 million, marking a substantial increase of 30.4 per cent compared to the same period of last year when it stood at USD 634.6 million, according to the official data.

Data also showed 524,486 foreign visitors arrived in Sri Lanka in the first five months of this year, surpassing 378,521 arrivals recorded a year earlier, as per reports.

Tourism, one of Sri Lanka's leading foreign exchange earners, suffered a setback due to the Covid-19 pandemic, economic and political crises in the South Asian country.