Cruise ships Artania, Coral Geographer, and The World visited Hambantota International Port (HIP) in January 2023. More than 1000 passengers disembarked to visit popular tourist destinations in the South. Amongst the sights were the Mulkirigala Temple, Ruhuṇu Kataragama Devalaya, Udawalawe National Park, Yala National Park, and the bird park in Hambantota. They also visited the Shangri-La in Hambantota, beach hotels in Tangalle and toured the city of Hambantota.
HIP is becoming popular on the cruise liner circuit, particularly because it has been recognised as a clean port, with high standards of safety protocols and easy access given to tour operators servicing the ships that call.