Sri Lanka had received over 800,000 foreign tourists this year by Aug. 8, surpassing the total number of last year, a senior Sri Lanka Development Authority (SLTDA) official said on Wednesday.

SLTDA Chairman Priantha Fernando told the media that Sri Lanka received 30,303 tourists during the first six days of August, and India and China were the top source markets for August arrivals.

In 2022, the South Asian nation received less than 720,000 tourists.

However, the industry has recovered in 2023 according to official data. It recorded the highest monthly tourist arrivals for 2023 in June at 143,039.

xinhua