Page 11 - Invest in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka: The Heart of the Eastern Hemisphere Your Destination for Timeless, Sustainable Investments

SRI LANKA TOURISM

MARKET OVERVIEW

Home to eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites, From 2010 to 2018, Sri Lanka’s hospitality and
over 250 endemic species and over 50 mountain tourism sector grew at one of the fastest rates in
peaks exceeding 1000 meters in elevation, Marco the world. The Compound Annual Growth Rate
Polo titled Sri Lanka the “finest island of its size in (CAGR) of tourism exports (total tourism receipts in
the World”. From pristine beaches to ancient USD) for Sri Lanka from 2010 to 2018 was 11.8%.
temples, civilisations, architectural and technologi- Figure 5 below demonstrates this rapid growth in
cal marvels, numerous destinations within the Sri Lanka’s total tourism receipts (total expenditure
island provide unique experiences that are by travelers in the country). In 2018 Sri Lanka
well-aligned with global trends in sustainable and generated approximately USD $5 billion in tourism
experiential travel. With strong demand genera- revenue.
tors and a robust infrastructure, Sri Lanka is
well-positioned to capture a growing share of the
global tourism market.

Figure 5 - Sri Lanka’s Total Annual Tourism Receipts in USD$ Billions

5.0
4.5
4.0
3.5
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0.0
1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018

Source: Central Bank of Sri Lanka

INVEST IN TOURISM SRI LANKA 7