📈 SL Tourism Eyes Value Over Volume: Chairman Urges Pivot

SLTDA Chairman Buddhika Hewawasam urged the industry to pivot toward higher-value tourism, stating that while the country has already crossed 2 million tourists for 2025, yield per visitor remains low. • Value Gap: The average tourist spend is around $\sim$US$ 300 per day, which is significantly lower than competing destinations like Malaysia and Indonesia. The focus must shift to attracting travellers with higher spending power. • Arrivals Target: To sustain industry profitability, the country needs a consistent minimum of 180,000–200,000 arrivals per month. • Key Challenges: Infrastructure strains and seasonality (5 strong months/7 weak months) are major concerns, with potential airline cancellations (around 45 weekly) due to unresolved bottlenecks. • Action Points: • Accommodation Imbalance: Addressing the severe room shortage in key regions (outside Colombo's >11,000 rooms); 3,000 acres released for new investment. • Experience Economy: Building year-round appeal with more entertainment, nightlife, and curated events to attract long-stay, high-spend travellers. • Nation Branding: Urgent need for a unified global brand-positioning campaign, with a dedicated World Bank-supported unit being established. • Improve domestic aviation for better regional dispersal.