As Tourism Surges in Sri Lanka, Locals Are Asking Who Truly Benefits

As Tourism Surges in Sri Lanka, Locals Are Asking Who Truly Benefits

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 …

Sri Lanka’s tourism revenue up 4.6-pct in March 2025

ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s foreign exchange revenue from tourism rose to $354 million in March, rising 4.6 percent compared to the same month last year, the central bank said, quoting tourism promotion authorities. The revenue in March last year was $338.4 million. Sri Lanka’s new government has aimed ambitious $5 million revenue from tourism this year. The country has received $1.12 billion earnings from tourism in the first three months of the …

Sri Lanka's tourist arrivals maintain momentum as Q1 earnings cross US$ 1 bn - LNW Lanka News Web

April 14, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka’s tourism industry has continued its upward trajectory, welcoming 56,567 international visitors between April 01 and 09, 2025, according to the latest data released by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA). The figures signal a promising continuation of the sector’s recovery, following a prolonged slump triggered by the economic crisis and global travel disruptions in recent years. During the firs…