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As Tourism Surges in Sri Lanka, Locals Are Asking Who Truly Benefits-by Zinara Rathnayake Tourists walk on the beach at sunset in Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka. (Thilina Kaluthotage/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Source:Newlinesmag In December, Dutch traveler Tom Grond posted a short video on his Instagram account. “I found Bali 2.0 in Sri Lanka,” he wrote. In the reel, one could see a beachfront restaurant with a thatched roof, tables on the sand, local staff with broad smiles, coconuts on the countertops, a resident puppy and white tourists on beanbags. On the menu, coconuts were $2 and kombucha $3 — more than half the daily wage of a worker who handpicks the tea leaves that make this fermented beverage. On the sea, a couple of fishers sat on stilts with their fishing rods. The waves ebbed. The sun reddened. The cafe in Grond’s video was in Ahangama, a small town 88 ...

Apr 16, 2025 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles Tagged Arugam Bay, Ceylon Tourism, Dutch traveler Tom Grond, Riz Razak, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority

A world without turtles is a world less beautiful-by Risidra mendis Source:Ceylontoday Far from the hustle and bustle of city life and nestled along the Southern Coast of Sri Lanka is a place of natural beauty and tranquility. The clear blue water and the sounds of the waves, the breathtaking sunrise and the unforgettable sunset over the Indian ocean. This is the Rekawa beach where nature can be experienced at its best. As the sun rises, the undisturbed beach lights up, with its tall coconut trees and mangroves and all forms of life starting to wake up from their deep slumber. The early sounds of birds and other animals at the Rekawa sanctuary can be heard and the pristine beach with its natural beauty, once again springs back to life. The beautiful scenic morning of the golden sandy beach and the crystal clear blue water of the ocean, against the ...

Oct 22, 2024 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles Tagged Central Environmental Authority, Coast Conservation Department, Department of Wildlife Conservation, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority

Tourist arrivals near 26,000 in first 6 days of October Source : dailymirror Sri Lanka welcomed 25,966 tourists in the first six days of October, marking a rather slow start for the month, ahead of the winter season, the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) data showed. In the six days, the daily average tourist arrivals were slightly up at 4327.6 tourists, compared to the daily average of 4071.3 tourists recorded for September this year. The tourist arrivals grew at the slowest pace in September, with a 9.11 percent year-on-year growth rate. India continued to account for the largest source of arrivals in the period, with 7,749 arrivals, followed by 2,437 and 1,737 arrivals from China and Germany. The United Kingdom, Australia and Russia occupied the fourth, fifth and sixth positions accordingly. Meanwhile, the cumulative tourist arrivals reached 1,510,774 tourists. India took the top spot, with 294,305 and the UK remained ...

Oct 10, 2024 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles Tagged Australia, Russia, SLTDA, Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, Tourist arrivals, United Kingdom

Tourists arrival increased Source : dailymirror Provisional data from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) shows a rise in tourist arrivals, with 70,678 visitors recorded in the first 17 days of September. This brings the total number of arrivals for the year to 1.43 million. Today marks the celebration of World Tourism Day (WTD), observed annually on 27 September. Pix by Pradeep Pathirana Click here to receive your free copy of the eLanka Newsletter twice a week delivered directly to your inbox! ...

Sep 27, 2024 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles Tagged Sri Lanka Tourism Development, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, Tourists arrival, World Tourism Day

Sri Lanka unveils new eVisa scheme offering longer durations of stay and diverse visa categories 24 April 2024: Colombo – The newly launched www.srilankaevisa.lk platform significantly enhances Sri Lanka’s visa processing system by replacing the previous Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) framework. This robust and state-of-the-art platform efficiently manages non-resident applications for a diverse range of visa categories, including short-term, long-term, transit, and gratis visas, across 15 visa categories, with stay durations of one month to ten years under this unified and integrated eVisa platform. The new eVisa scheme came into effect on 17 April 2024. This update aligns with the government’s commitment to modernizing the visa process and positioning Sri Lanka as a global travel destination. ...

Apr 26, 2024 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles Tagged Electronic Travel Authorization, eVisa scheme, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, Sri Lanka’s visa

One of the world’s most spectacular train rides costs less than $10-by Julia D’Orazio Source:Theage I’m fine with a little discomfort. Sitting shoulder to shoulder, a slight awkwardness here and there. Even the subtle wafts of a fellow passenger’s body odour don’t deter my mood as I’m preoccupied with other things. Hardly staring into the abyss, I’m transfixed with Sri Lanka’s countryside slowly passing me. The island nation boasts one of the world’s most scenic train journeys. Its 1561-kilometre rail network extends like veins across the country, winding through gently sloping hills lined with tea plantations, gorges, rivers, waterfalls, viaducts and villages. The train from Kandy to Nanu Oya is slow travel at its finest. It’s slow travel at its finest, with some train speeds just 40km/h along the network, allowing ample time for an impromptu photoshoot. Sri Lanka’s first railway connected the country during British rule. The railroad was ...

Aug 3, 2023 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles Tagged Sri Lanka Railways, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, Sri Lanka’s Little England

Tourist arrivals cross 125,000 mark in March, highest since Feb 2020 – By Darshana Sanajeewa Balasuriya Source : dailymirror Tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka crossed the 125,000 mark in March for the first time since February 2020, Tourism Minister Harin Fernando said. Data from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) showed that for the period from March 01 to 31 a total of 125,495 international visitors have entered the country. The number of tourists who arrived in Sri Lanka during the same period last year was 106,500. Accordingly, a total of 335,679 tourists have arrived in the country within the first three months of this year. In 2022, Sri Lanka welcomed 719,978 visitors. ...

Apr 4, 2023 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles Tagged Harin Fernando, international visitors, Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, Tourist arrivals

Tourism earnings top USD 331.7 Mn-by Mahinda Aluthgedara Source:Dailynews The tourism industry has succeeded in earning an income of Rs.102 billion (US Dollars 331.7 million) during the first two months of this year boosting the economy of the country. The Central Bank (CB) sources said that it is an increase of 3.3 percent when compared to the earnings from tourism during the first two months of 2022, which was US Dollars 321.1 million. The income from the tourism industry in February of this year is recorded as US Dollars 169.9 million and the overall earnings from tourism during 2022 was US Dollars 1136.3 million. This amount in 2021 was recorded as US Dollars 506.9 million. These statistics are based on a report issued by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. ...

Mar 12, 2023 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles Tagged Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, the Central Bank, The Tourism Industry

Tourist arrivals for first week of Dec. already cross15,000 mark Source:Dailymirror Daily arrival average increases to 2,302 Russia and India rank as top two source markets for SL tourism United Kingdom regains position as third largest tourist traffic generator for SL Arrivals for January 1-December 7 period total 644,186 Influx contributed by arrival of luxury cruise Azamara The tourist arrivals for the first seven days of December have already crossed the 15,000 mark, indicating the revival of the hard-hit sector is on track. The provisional data from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) showed that for the December 1-7 period, the arrivals to the island nation totalled 16,169. This brings the total number of arrivals for the year, ending on December 7, 2022, to 644,186. The daily arrival average for the first week of December is 2,302. In the recent weeks, with the start of the winter season, the ...

Dec 11, 2022 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles Tagged FIFA Zone, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority

TOURISM NEEDS INSPIRATION – By Dr Tilak S. Fernando World Tourism Day falls on September 27. Tourism is a big business that benefits many globally. It does not only help hoteliers, but it aids those who are associated with the tourism industry culturally and religiously, with many natural attractions on offer. Tourism provided the oxygen required for the country to survive the present economic crisis. An increase in the inflow of tourists depends on the quality of the product Sri Lanka offers tourists. The latest statistics before the advent of the Easter Sunday terror attacks and COVID-19 show Sri Lanka receiving a record number of tourists in 2018. There has been a significant increase in tourist arrivals recently after Tourism Minister Harin Fernando appointed Priantha Fernando as the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA). The Sunday newspapers highlighted that the former Coordinating Secretary to the State Transport ...

Oct 19, 2022 Posted by eLanka admin In Articles, Tilak S Fernando Tagged Covid 19, Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, Tourism, tourists, World Tourism Day