Colombo, Dec 9 (IANS) Sri Lanka recorded $1.8 billion tourism revenue till November this year, 78.3 per cent up from the corresponding period previous year, as per Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) data.

The revenue earned from tourism increased to 205.3 million dollars in November 2023, which is over twice the revenue in November 2022, according to the latest data.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry told parliament on Thursday that the tourist arrivals will spike in 2024 with more airlines coming into the country, Xinhua news agency reported.

Sri Lanka welcomed 151,496 international tourists in November, the highest monthly number of visitors it received in 2023, official data showed.

Sri Lanka's cumulative tourist arrivals for the first 11 months of the year stand at 1.27 million, according to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority.

Tourism is one of Sri Lanka's top foreign revenue generators. In late November, the government waived visa fees for nationals from China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Japan to boost tourism in the coming season.