Xinhua - Fifty cruise ships will be calling at Sri Lankan ports from February to April, state media reported on Sunday quoting B.H.R. Sariffo Deen, director general of Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority.

Sariffo Deen said most of the cruise ships will call at Colombo harbor, and some will also anchor in Hambantota and Trincomalee harbors as well.

He said that usually each cruise ship carries around 1,000 passengers, and the ships are expected to be anchored in Sri Lanka's harbors for around two days, adding that these cruise operations will boost the arrival figures for tourism this year.

According to official data, over 1.48 million tourists visited Sri Lanka in 2023, marking a two-fold increase from the previous year.

Building on this momentum, Sri Lanka aims to surpass the peak of 2.5 million tourists recorded in 2017, with plans underway to achieve this milestone by 2024.