Tourism & Leisure

300% YoY growth in arrivals

$ 181 Foreign exchange receipts per tourist per day

400K Total employment generation

192 BOI Enterprises

Blessed with natural and cultural endowments throughout the island, Sri Lanka is home to a rich and diverse Tourism & Leisure industry which is the economy’s third largest foreign exchange earner. Accordingly, the government has positioned tourism as a central pillar of the economy which is poised for resurgence in the wake of increasing tourist arrivals with a focus on investments that provide world-class visitor experiences in established sub-sectors and new offerings.

Potential areas for investment

  • Tourist Accommodation & Services (Hotels, Transit Hotels, Resorts, Villas, Higher-end restaurants, Convention Centres, MICE Tourism, Wellness Tourism)
  • Leisure & Recreational (Golf Course, Entertainment Complexes, Theme Parks, Tourist
  • Shopping Complexes, Eco-Lodges, Camping, Whale & Dolphin Watching, water Sports)
  • Adventure & Eco Tourism (Adventure parks)
  • Transportation (Yacht Marina, Coastal Ferry Services, Cruise Lines)
  • Skill Development: Hotel / Hospitality Training Institutes

Global players in Sri Lanka

Global Rankings

Tourists Arrivals (Mn) (2011 - 2023 March)

Source : SLTDA 

Tourist arrivals by purpose of visit, December 2022

Source : SLTDA 

Number of Establishments

Source : SLTDA 

Distribution of employment in the tourism industry -2021

Source : SLTDA 

Top ten source markets (January –December 2021)