Over 25,000 tourists arrive amidst and post-Cyclone Ditwah
Daily FT: Over 25,000 tourists have arrived amidst and post-Cyclone Ditwah prompting officials to express confidence that the country’s resilience despite natural disasters bodes well.
The inflow of tourists during the past five days was revealed by Sri Lanka Tourism Chairman Buddhika Hewawasam at the presentation of Five Star certification to Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams yesterday.
He also said that around 250 tourists who were stranded in flood-stricken areas were brought back to the city and cared for after which many continued their tour.
“Tourism can rebound faster even though it is first to be impacted following a natural disaster. This resilience is a big strength for the economy and those dependent,” Hewawasam emphasised.
Sri Lanka’s tourism surpassed 2.1 million arrivals in the first 11 months, whilst November recorded the highest number of visitors since March 2025. The country welcomed 212,906 tourists in November, marking a 16% year-on-year (YoY) growth. It also recorded the highest November arrivals in five years.
In the context of Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams being the 33rd to be conferred Five Star hotel status in the country by Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, Hewawasam said Colombo needs to be revitalised and has the great potential to become the hub in South Asia for leisure, entertainment and MICE tourism.
OSL take:
The continuing tourist arrivals to the country, even amidst Sri Lanka’s rebuilding process post-Ditwah, indicates the steady growth and business potential in the country’s tourism industry. Sri Lanka’s tourism industry is one of the key revenue generators to the country with the authorities setting ambitious revenue targets for the industry in the coming years. With Sri Lanka being identified as a must visit tourist destination while the authorities continue to explore new tourism concepts, there are many business/investment opportunities in the industry and related sectors. The posts put up on social media by tourists who were in the country during Cyclone Ditwah expressing satisfaction in their visit to Sri Lanka and urging other tourists to also visit Sri Lanka have also helped boost the interest of foreign tourists in the country. The expanding business/investment opportunities in Sri Lanka’s tourism industry and related sectors continue to present lucrative business ventures for foreign businesses/investors. The interest shown by international leisure and hospitality brands in entering Sri Lanka as well as the growth and expansion of businesses in the country’s tourism sector are indicative of the increasing business potential in Sri Lanka’s tourism industry and related sectors. Given all these factors, foreign businesses/investors could confidently explore the expanding business/investment opportunities in Sri Lanka’s tourism industry and related sectors.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/20251210/Z_3 |