Sri Lanka tourism earnings reach US$ 3.5Bn in 2019

(FASTNEWS | COLOMBO) – Sri Lanka’s tourism sector earnings were provisionally estimated at US dollars 3,592 million during 2019, compared to US dollars 4,381 million during the corresponding period of 2018, latest External Sector Performance report of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka outlines.

Earnings from tourism were provisionally estimated at US dollars 454 million in December 2019, in comparison to US dollars 475 million in December 2018.

Monthly tourist arrivals after the Easter Sunday attacks recovered notably and recorded only a modest decline on a year-on-year basis in December 2019.

During the month, 241,663 tourists arrived in the country, recording a year-on-year decline of 4.5 per cent, compared to the drop of 9.5 per cent in November and 22.5 per cent in October 2019.

Tourist arrivals from Russia, Canada and the United States improved in December 2019 (year-on-year), while arrivals from key destinations, such as France, Germany, Maldives and the United Kingdom, declined.

Tourist arrivals were recorded at 1.9 million in 2019, a decline of 18.0 per cent compared to 2.3 million arrivals in 2018. The tourism sector could suffer a further setback in the period ahead, following the outbreak of the new coronavirus that originated in China and spread to several other countries.

Meanwhile, workers’ remittances recorded a growth of 13.8 per cent in December 2019, year-on-year, amounting to US dollars 665 million. On a cumulative basis, workers’ remittances recorded a decline of 4.3 per cent, amounting to US dollars 6,717 million in 2019 compared to US dollars 7,015 million in 2018.