Sri Lanka saw a decline in average tourist spending in 2025 despite a strong increase in visitor arrivals, official data show.
According to figures from the Central Bank, tourist arrivals rose to 2,362,521 in 2025, up from 2,053,465 in 2024, marking a year-on-year growth of 15.1 percent. However, total earnings from tourism increased only marginally to US dollars 3,219.2 million in 2025, compared to US dollars 3,168.6 million a year earlier, reflecting a growth of just 1.6 percent.
Based on these figures, the average spending per tourist declined to approximately US dollars 1,363 in 2025, down from about US dollars 1,544 in 2024. This represents a reduction of nearly US dollars 181 per visitor, or a drop of around 11.7 percent year-on-year.
The data indicate that while Sri Lanka succeeded in attracting a higher number of tourists during 2025, overall visitor spending did not keep pace with the growth in arrivals.
Analysts note that the decline in per-capita spending may reflect shorter stays, changes in tourist profiles, or increased arrivals from price-sensitive markets, underscoring the need to focus on higher-value tourism alongside volume growth. (Newswire)
