<p>Sri Lanka's earnings from tourist arrivals stood at well over $1,129 million in the first eleven months of this year, the cash-strapped country's central bank has said, an impressive surge buoyed by the resumption in international flights and easing of curbs related to the Covid.</p>.<p>The tourism sector is the main source of foreign exchange earnings in the country.</p>.<p>However, the onset of the pandemic in 2020 severely crippled this sector, and one of the major reasons for Sri Lanka's economic travails.</p>.<p>Sri Lanka welcomed 59,759 tourists to the country in November, an impressive 42 per cent rise compared to the previous month, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka said in a statement on Sunday.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/world-news-politics/sri-lanka-how-the-crisis-unfolded-1128426.html" target="_blank">Sri Lanka: How the crisis unfolded</a></strong></p>.<p>Consequently, the island nation's earnings from international tourist arrivals for November touched $107.5 billion, with the cumulative tally in the first ten months of the year notching up to a whopping $1129.4 million, it said.</p>.<p>In October this year, the country had earned $75.6 million as revenues through tourism.</p>.<p>Overall, 6,28,017 tourists have arrived in the country in the first eleven months of the year, the report said.</p>.<p>The daily average of tourist arrivals in November stood at 1991, a significant jump when compared in October, which saw 1,355 tourists, it added.</p>.<p>The robust growth in tourist arrivals is due to the resumption in a number of international flights to the island nation.</p>.<p>Last month, Sri Lanka also witnessed nearly 4,000 tourists by sea, the first since the outbreak of the pandemic.</p>.<p>On November 18, luxury cruise ship Viking Mars arrived at the Colombo Port, bringing in 900 tourists, according to the Daily Mirror Sri Lanka newspaper.</p>.<p>Earlier this week, super luxury cruise ship Mein Schiff 5 arrived in Sri Lanka with around 3,000 passengers, the report said.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/sri-lanka-puts-the-ball-back-in-india-s-court-on-tamil-minority-issue-1168220.html" target="_blank">Sri Lanka ‘puts’ the ball back in India’s court on Tamil minority issue</a></strong></p>.<p>Russians accounted for around 23 per cent in the total tourist arrivals in November, followed by Indians, who contributed to 17 per cent of the arrivals, the Mirror report added.</p>.<p>Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan government introduced a mobile app last week aimed at improving the safety of international tourists.</p>.<p>Tourism minister Harin Fernando has said that through this app, tourists will be allowed to check their locations, according to news portal newsfirst.lk.</p>.<p>Sri Lanka has been grappling with unprecedented economic turmoil since its independence from Britain in 1948.</p>.<p>The economic crisis has also created political unrest in the country.</p>.<p>There have been street protests in Sri Lanka against the government since early April due to its mishandling of the economic crisis.</p>.<p>In September, the IMF announced a $2.9 billion bailout package to help the country tide over its worst economic crisis.</p>.<p>A crippling shortage of foreign reserves has led to long queues for fuel, cooking gas, and other essentials while power cuts and soaring food prices have heaped misery on the people. </p>
<p>Sri Lanka's earnings from tourist arrivals stood at well over $1,129 million in the first eleven months of this year, the cash-strapped country's central bank has said, an impressive surge buoyed by the resumption in international flights and easing of curbs related to the Covid.</p>.<p>The tourism sector is the main source of foreign exchange earnings in the country.</p>.<p>However, the onset of the pandemic in 2020 severely crippled this sector, and one of the major reasons for Sri Lanka's economic travails.</p>.<p>Sri Lanka welcomed 59,759 tourists to the country in November, an impressive 42 per cent rise compared to the previous month, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka said in a statement on Sunday.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/world-news-politics/sri-lanka-how-the-crisis-unfolded-1128426.html" target="_blank">Sri Lanka: How the crisis unfolded</a></strong></p>.<p>Consequently, the island nation's earnings from international tourist arrivals for November touched $107.5 billion, with the cumulative tally in the first ten months of the year notching up to a whopping $1129.4 million, it said.</p>.<p>In October this year, the country had earned $75.6 million as revenues through tourism.</p>.<p>Overall, 6,28,017 tourists have arrived in the country in the first eleven months of the year, the report said.</p>.<p>The daily average of tourist arrivals in November stood at 1991, a significant jump when compared in October, which saw 1,355 tourists, it added.</p>.<p>The robust growth in tourist arrivals is due to the resumption in a number of international flights to the island nation.</p>.<p>Last month, Sri Lanka also witnessed nearly 4,000 tourists by sea, the first since the outbreak of the pandemic.</p>.<p>On November 18, luxury cruise ship Viking Mars arrived at the Colombo Port, bringing in 900 tourists, according to the Daily Mirror Sri Lanka newspaper.</p>.<p>Earlier this week, super luxury cruise ship Mein Schiff 5 arrived in Sri Lanka with around 3,000 passengers, the report said.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/sri-lanka-puts-the-ball-back-in-india-s-court-on-tamil-minority-issue-1168220.html" target="_blank">Sri Lanka ‘puts’ the ball back in India’s court on Tamil minority issue</a></strong></p>.<p>Russians accounted for around 23 per cent in the total tourist arrivals in November, followed by Indians, who contributed to 17 per cent of the arrivals, the Mirror report added.</p>.<p>Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan government introduced a mobile app last week aimed at improving the safety of international tourists.</p>.<p>Tourism minister Harin Fernando has said that through this app, tourists will be allowed to check their locations, according to news portal newsfirst.lk.</p>.<p>Sri Lanka has been grappling with unprecedented economic turmoil since its independence from Britain in 1948.</p>.<p>The economic crisis has also created political unrest in the country.</p>.<p>There have been street protests in Sri Lanka against the government since early April due to its mishandling of the economic crisis.</p>.<p>In September, the IMF announced a $2.9 billion bailout package to help the country tide over its worst economic crisis.</p>.<p>A crippling shortage of foreign reserves has led to long queues for fuel, cooking gas, and other essentials while power cuts and soaring food prices have heaped misery on the people. </p>