Sri Lanka Steals Tourism Share From Maldives
Photo Credit: A room at the Sheraton Hotel Colombo in Sri Lanka. Marriott International
Skift Take
The tensions with the Maldives have Indian tourists diverting to other coastal tourist destinations and Sri Lanka is already reaping the benefits, surpassing Maldives in the number of tourists for the first time.
The Singapore Tourism Board said Singapore received 1.44 million visitors in January, up 54.2% year on year and up 16.1% from December 2023. 1.07 million were overnight visitors, up 43.6% year on year and 26% sequentially. Indonesiaremained the top source market for Singapore visitors, with 268,970 visitors in January. Mainland China was second with 211,190 but Mainland China had the most growth, up 644.2%. Mainland China visitors also had visitors staying the longest, with an average of 3.73 days during the month. For full year 2023, Singapore received just over 13.61 million visitors, up 115.8% year on year. The STB is expecting 15 million to 16 million visitor arrivals in 2024 bringing in approximately S$26 billion.
Malaysia is expecting a 53.9% surge in inbound travel during this Chinese New Year period we are in the middle of. Spending is expected to surge by 154.2%, reflecting
