Sri Lanka Plans 20 New Tourist Zones as Visitor Numbers Surge

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka is set to expand its tourism footprint with plans to officially gazette 20 new tourist zones before November, in a move aimed at accelerating visitor arrivals and strengthening the country’s appeal as a global travel destination.

Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, Buddhika Hewawasam, confirmed that the process to designate the new tourism zones is already underway and will be completed before November. 

The latest move comes amid a steady rebound in Sri Lanka’s tourism sector, with figures indicating strong growth in arrivals so far this year. 

According to available data, a total of 1,076,487 tourists have visited the country during the period under review.

India has emerged as the leading source market for Sri Lanka’s tourism industry, contributing the highest number of visitors. 

A total of 272,099 Indian tourists have arrived in the country, so far.