COLOMBO, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka earned 219 million U.S. dollars from tourism in July, a top tourism official said on Monday, citing Central Bank of Sri Lanka data.
Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) Chairman Priantha Fernando told the media that 143,039 tourists visited the country last month, compared to 47,293 visitor arrivals a year earlier, which generated some 85 million dollars in tourism income.
He added that 1.09 billion dollars were earned from tourism in the first seven months of this year, compared to 764.6 million dollars recorded a year earlier.
According to him, 51,594 tourists arrived between Aug. 1 and 10, and Sri Lanka has received over 800,000 tourists so far this year.
Sri Lanka's tourism industry is aiming to attract 2 million visitors in 2023, compared to the previous target of 1.5 million.
Tourism, as one of Sri Lanka's leading foreign exchange earners, has suffered a setback due to the COVID-19 pandemic and economic and political crises in the South Asian country. ■
