During the year, fluctuations in Sri Lanka's source markets were notable but India and China remained the two countries that supplied the highest numbers of tourists.
In 2018, several reputable tourism related resources draw their audience's attention to Sri Lanka. National Geographic mentioned Sri Lanka in their lists as a great destination for beach holiday during winter and for boat exploration. Lonely Planet named Sri Lanka the best travel destination for 2019. Travel Lemming also pore some light to Sri Lanka choosing it as one of the 6 winning destinations in Travel Lemming Reader Awards.
To further promote tourism in the country, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau supports travel bloggers and social media influencers who write about the country on different platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Youtube.
Sri Lanka also encourages international film makers to shoot international movies on the island. Last year, several famous British film location experts visited Sri Lanka examining some scenic spots. Among them was the location manager for the famous television series Game of Thrones.
Tourist Information Centres in the Bandaranaike International Airport got a facelift, and new charter flights were launched to operate during winter. Multi-platform promotional campaigns are being carried out and are expected to ensure a steady growth of tourists arrivals in 2019.
Sri Lanka Tourism Sector Optimistic about 2019
News in Asia
Regardless some political uncertainty in the beginning of the year, 2018 was a positive year for tourism sector in Sri Lanka with visitors arrivals reaching 2.33 million tourists, a steady 10.3% increase compared to 2017.