Trends, forecasts and a look at where the island is heading.
Vietjet Air announced four weekly direct flights between Colombo and Ho Chi Minh City starting August 2026, giving passengers access to the airline's extensive Asia-Pacific network.
Open sourceIndia's High Commissioner said the 30 km gap between Rameswaram and Talaimannar is an anomaly, and called for building a bridge or tunnel across the Palk Strait for direct land connection between the two countries.
Open sourceIn 2025, Sri Lanka welcomed its 2,333,797th tourist, surpassing the 2018 record and setting a new all-time high for foreign arrivals.
Open sourceAccording to U.S. News & World Report, Sri Lanka ranked 5th among Asia's best tourist destinations thanks to national parks, ancient monuments, and affordable prices.
Open sourceOn December 25, Air Astana operated its first flight from Almaty to Colombo, launching the 2025/2026 winter season with two weekly flights until March 2026.
Open sourceThe Sri Lankan government is ready to launch 5G, with operators Dialog and Mobitel negotiating the purchase of spectrum frequencies.
Open sourceTravel + Leisure has included Sri Lanka in its 50 Best Places to Travel in 2026, highlighting Jaffna, Horton Plains, tea plantations, and the southern coast.
Open sourceThe tourism minister announced a three-tier prepaid combo pass covering transport and entry to all major attractions, launching in December.
Open sourceA dystopian visualisation by visit.srilanka imagining what the island might look like with zero population in 2075.
Open sourceAccording to tour operators, Sri Lanka is among the top five most popular foreign destinations for Russian tourists over the New Year holidays.
Open sourceTime Out named Sri Lanka the number one destination for October 2025, but the author warns that October is the rainiest month on the island.
Open sourceStarlink equipment is now available for order in Sri Lanka.
Open sourceThe TRCSL Director General announced that Starlink satellite internet will become available to local customers after a one-week testing period.
Open sourceSri Lanka's Telecommunications Regulatory Commission announced the launch of Starlink for the first 12 customers; 112 equipment kits have been imported.
Open sourceThe launch of Starlink service in Sri Lanka has been postponed indefinitely.
Open sourceOn the night of May 15–16, the new India Asia Xpress international fiber-optic cable was connected to Sri Lanka via Matara, expected to improve internet stability.
Open sourceBy end of April Sri Lanka will launch a unified national brand campaign bringing together tourism, tea, textiles and cricket under one strategy.
Open sourceAccording to a source, the Starlink internet service is set to launch in Sri Lanka as early as April.
Open sourceAmerican singer Aloe Blacc arrived in Sri Lanka, plans to visit national parks and Sigiriya, and called the country a promising destination for investment.
Open sourceIn January 2025, Sri Lanka welcomed 252,761 tourists, including 34,096 Russians; India leads with 44,375 arrivals, up 26% year-on-year.
Open sourceA new virus with COVID-19-like symptoms is spreading in China, overwhelming hospitals, particularly pediatric wards.
Open sourceThe government set a goal to attract 4 million tourists in two years, though the channel is skeptical about infrastructure and service readiness.
Open sourceThe Fodor's travel guide named Bali first on its list of destinations tourists should reconsider in 2025 due to infrastructure overload.
Open sourceAnalysts forecast a sharp rise in tourism in Sri Lanka by 2025, driven by cultural heritage, nature, and improved infrastructure.
Open sourceWanderlust magazine, based on a vote of three million people, awarded Sri Lanka gold in the 'Most Desirable Island in the World' category, rising from 8th to 1st place.
Open sourceThe channel highlights a new trend or event and promises to follow its development.
Open sourceExperts rate Sri Lanka's medical tourism potential highly: the country is already a global transplantology center and traditional Ayurveda attracts health tourists.
Open sourceThe author analyses Pavel Durov's arrest as a logical outcome of Telegram's evolution into a global governance platform without true privacy.
Open sourceForbes named Sri Lanka one of the top 3 places to visit in summer 2024 alongside Greek island Paros and Mauritius, advising to avoid overcrowded European destinations.
Open sourceAmid the theft of a blogger's $20,000 backpack and global media criticism, Sri Lanka's authorities launch a global tourism promotion campaign.
Open sourceThe presidential adviser announced that Starlink will be available on the island within three months, following an agreement between Wickremesinghe and Musk in Indonesia.
Open sourceAt a youth meeting in Kilinochchi, President Wickremesinghe announced targets: 5 million tourists a year, a $500 average spend and favourable conditions for cryptocurrency.
Open sourcePresident Wickremesinghe met Elon Musk in Indonesia and agreed to launch Starlink on the island; the editorial team dreams of a future spaceport.
Open sourceThe editorial team reports that ferry service between Sri Lanka and India will not resume for now — timelines remain unknown.
Open sourceThe Sri Lanka Air Force is organising the Colombo 2024 Air Show and Defence Exhibition from 29 May to 2 June in the Port City area.
Open sourceA roundup of the Lankan press: medical workers strike, the Indian ferry failed to arrive again, a thunderstorm in Jaffna, massage parlour scandals and talk of Shoigu's dismissal.
Open sourceRussia's Tour Operators Association corrected a translation error from Dailymirror about visa-related tourist losses; the channel 'Ran'she vsekh' also made a correction.
Open sourceAccording to the Russian Tour Operators Association, visa difficulties threaten the loss of 2 million tourists, while 2.36 million visitors are expected in 2024.
Open sourceThe Russian channel 'Ran'she vsekh' published incorrect data on Sri Lanka's tourist flow — two fake news items in 24 hours, later corrected.
Open sourceThe channel recommends reading the latest news in light of recent developments.
Open sourceFacebook, Instagram, Google, and X are reported down, possibly linked to cable damage in the Red Sea; Telegram held up and gained millions of new users.
Open sourceAfter nearly forty years, a high-speed ferry service has resumed between Nagapattinam in India and Kankesanthurai in northern Sri Lanka.
Open sourceAccording to Big 7 Travel, Sri Lanka ranked 13th in the annual list of the 50 best islands in the world for travel in 2023.
Open sourceAeroflot announced increased flight frequency from Moscow to Sri Lanka: from 1 October 7 times per week, from 1 November 10 times per week.
Open sourceFrom September 9, Aeroflot increases flights from Moscow to Sri Lanka to three times per week.
Open sourceThe Sri Lanka government launches a major tourism campaign featuring hot-air balloons and social media, targeting up to 4 million tourists by 2030.
Open sourceThe Sri Lanka government has approved the introduction of electric buses, though exact implementation dates have not yet been announced.
Open sourceThe Deputy Director of Health Services warns that dengue cases in 2023 are triple those of the previous year, especially in the Colombo and Gampaha districts.
Open sourceA digest of Lankan media: rising dengue due to fumigation changes, cyclone threat from the Bay of Bengal, and a record low weekly tourist arrival.
Open sourceLocal news digest: rising dengue and malaria cases, 105,000 tourists in April, deaths in a train-tuk-tuk collision in Weligama.
Open sourcePress clippings: fuel quota extension, a ban on buildings over 4 storeys in Nuwara Eliya, expected Indian rupee payments, and the seizure of 26 kg of drugs.
Open sourceDigest: fuel quotas extended, Sri Lanka entered Forbes top 2023, tourist arrivals for April near 400,000, and an astronomer blames the crisis on renaming Ceylon.
Open sourceA digest of local news: a decision on fuel quotas, a tourist's death in a road accident, a solar eclipse on April 20, and a conflict between environmentalists and authorities over peacocks.
Open sourceNews digest: 12 arrested for heroin possession in 8 districts, and the launch of a new 7-language tourist mobile app for the safety of foreign visitors.
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