Provisional data from Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority shows that the island nation lured a total of 43,083 tourists, bringing year-to-date arrivals to 1,053,332.

In comparison to the first week of June this year, the first week of July witnessed an 89 percent increase in tourist arrivals.

The month of July kicked off with Sri Lanka hosting the Dawoodi Bohra International Convention, which commenced on July 7 and will go on for 12 days.

The Dawoodi Bohra International Convention is a major boost for Sri Lanka tourism, as it brings to the island nation over 30,000 religious visitors from over 40 countries.