Sri Lanka recorded 183,979 tourist arrivals in March 2026, a sharp decline compared to the same month last year.
The figure represents a 19.7 per cent drop from March 2025 and a 21.2 per cent decrease compared to March 2018, highlighting a slowdown after strong growth in the first two months of the year.
The decline is mainly attributed to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which has affected travel plans from key source markets.
According to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), January 2026 recorded 277,327 arrivals, reflecting a 9.7 per cent increase from January 2025 and a 16 per cent rise compared to 2018.
February 2026 saw 279,328 arrivals, marking a 16.2 per cent increase from February 2025 and an 18.5 per cent rise compared to 2018.
These strong gains in the first two months highlight the contrast with March’s sharp decline.
India remained the leading source market in March, contributing 47,533 visitors, followed by the United Kingdom with 18,092, the Russian Federation with 15,685, China with 14,064, and Germany with 13,429.
Australia, France, the United States, Japan, and Bangladesh rounded off the top ten source markets.
Despite the March decline, Sri Lanka’s tourism sector welcomed a total of 740,634 visitors in the first quarter of 2026.
Full report: https://www.sltda.gov.lk/storage/common_media/Weekly_Report_1st_to_31st_March_2026.pdf (Newswire)