India topped Sri Lanka’s tourist arrivals in December and the entire year, according to data published by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA).

For most part of 2020 beginning April, Sri Lanka shut its borders fearing import of COVID-19 cases into the island nation, which was then making global headlines for managing the pandemic well.

It was only in December 2020 that the country had gradually opened up to recover from the severe economic impact of the pandemic that had hit its tourism sector — third largest foreign exchange earner. However, 2021 saw a gradual increase in tourists, picking up in the latter part of the year.

For December, Sri Lanka recorded 89,506 tourist arrivals, of whom 23,566 or 26.3 % were from India, data showed, signalling that India had regained its spot as the largest source market in its tourism sector. From January 2021 to December 2021, 56,268 tourists — about 42 % of the visitors — arrived in Colombo from India, again the highest number from a country recorded last year, following Russia, the U.K. and Germany.

Ramayana tour packages / family holidays and honeymoon packages are most famous amoung Indian tourists. Being one of the top travel agencies in Sri Lanka, Ceylon Expeditions take part of handing inbound holidays mainly from India.