Dancers perform in front of the historic Buddhist Temple of the Tooth during a procession celebrating the Esala Perahera festival in Kandy, Sri Lanka, on Aug. 30, 2023. Photo: Xinhua

Tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka crossed the 900,000 mark this year on Aug. 30, according to the latest statistics released by Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA).

According to SLTDA, 900,708 tourists arrived in the country so far this year, which is an increase against 719,978 total arrivals reported for the entire year of 2022.

Sri Lanka's tourism industry is aiming to attract 2 million visitors in 2023.

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.