Sri Lanka recorded 124,551 tourist arrivals in June 2026, marking a 9.9% year‑on‑year decline compared to 138,241 visitors in June 2025. 

The drop comes after a 9.6% increase in May 2026, highlighting a reversal in monthly growth momentum.

According to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), total arrivals for the first half of 2026 stand at 1,146,573 visitors.

India remained the largest source market in June, contributing 43,423 arrivals (35% share). 

The United Kingdom followed with 10,474 visitors (8%), while Australia (8,710), China (8,224), and the United States (3,806) each accounted for around 7–3% of the market. 

France, Germany, Bangladesh, Maldives, and Canada also featured among the key contributors. 

SLTDA report : https://www.sltda.gov.lk/storage/common_media/Weekly_Report_1st_to_30th_June_2026.pdf (Newswire)

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Tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka have exceeded 840,000 so far this year, the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) said.

A total of 840,411 visitors arrived between January 01 and April 22, with the largest number coming from India at 176,465, according to the authority.

Tourists also arrived in significant numbers from the United Kingdom, Russia, Germany and China.

Meanwhile, according to SLTDA, 99,777 visitors were recorded between April 01 and April 22.

However, data indicates that average daily arrivals in April have declined compared to previous months. (Newswire)

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The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) reports that 151,693 tourists arrived in the country between 01st and 25th March 2026.

India emerged as the leading source market, contributing 39,424 visitors. The United Kingdom and the Russian Federation followed with 13,967 and 13,272 tourists, respectively. China ranked fourth with 12,166 arrivals, while Germany brought in 10,523 visitors.

Other notable contributors included Australia (8,522 arrivals), France (7,237 arrivals), the United States (4,638 arrivals), Japan (3,915 arrivals), and Bangladesh (3,432 arrivals).

Although March arrivals remain lower compared to the same month in 2018 and 2025, strong growth in January and February has pushed total arrivals for the first quarter of 2026 to 708,348.

Full report : https://www.sltda.gov.lk/storage/common_media/Weekly_Report_1st_to_25th_March_2026.pdf (Newswire)

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The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) reports that 109,410 tourists visited the country during the first 18 days of March.

According to SLTDA data, India was the leading source market, accounting for 27,613 arrivals, or 25% of total visitors during the period.

Arrivals from the United Kingdom totaled 10,111, followed by Russia with 9,562 and China with 9,100 visitors. Germany and Australia recorded 8,258 and 6,114 arrivals, respectively.

For the period from January 1 to March 18, 2026, total tourist arrivals reached 666,065, according to the SLTDA.

India remained the top source market for the year with 127,353 visitors, followed by the United Kingdom with 70,439 and Russia with 59,795 arrivals. (Newswire)

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Over 94,000 tourist arrivals have been recorded within the first 11 days of January 2026, according to official data from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA).

The SLTDA reports that a total of 94,041 tourists arrived in the country between 01-11 January 2026.

The highest tourist arrival was reported from India, amounting to 16,772, followed by Russia (10,9270), the United Kingdom (8,676), Germany (7,060), and Australia (4,591).

Full report : https://www.sltda.gov.lk/storage/common_media/Weekly_Report_1st_to_11th_January_2026.pdf (Newswire)

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The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) says the country has surpassed the two-million mark in foreign tourist arrivals for 2025.

According to the SLTDA, the milestone was reached with the arrival of a British couple on Monday, marking another positive step for the recovering tourism sector.

Sri Lanka has recorded steady growth in arrivals throughout the year, driven by improved flight connectivity, promotional campaigns, and increasing interest from key markets such as India, the UK, China, and Germany.

Tourism remains one of Sri Lanka’s top foreign-exchange earners, and officials expect arrivals to continue rising during the peak winter season. (Newswire)

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Sri Lanka recorded its highest-ever tourist arrivals for the month of September, surpassing the previous record set in the benchmark year of 2018.

According to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), Sri Lanka welcomed a total of 158,971 tourists in September 2025, eclipsing 2018’s tourist arrivals of 149,087. 

SLTDA data further shows a  30.2 per cent increase compared to September 2024, during which 122,140 arrivals were recorded.

In September 2025, India remained the leading source market with 49,697 visitors (31.3%), followed by the United Kingdom (10,752), China (10,527), Germany (9,344) and Australia (9,105).

The SLTDA states that a total of 1,725,494 tourist arrivals have been recorded so far this year. (Newswire)

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Over 1.3 million tourist arrivals have been recorded in Sri Lanka so far this year, according to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA).

The SLTDA says a total of 1,341,953 tourists have visited Sri Lanka from January 1st to July 27th. 

The majority of these visitors were Indian nationals, numbering 274,919. 

In addition, tourists from countries including the United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, China, France, Australia, and the Netherlands have also arrived in significant numbers.

According to SLTDA data, 173,909 tourists visited the country within the 27 days of July. 

Furthermore, the highest number of tourists during that month was recorded on July 26th, totalling 7,579 arrivals. (Newswire)

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Sri Lanka recorded its highest-ever tourist arrivals for the month of May, with 132,919 visitors in May 2025, surpassing the previous record of 129,466 set in May 2018.

Arrivals in May rose by 18.5% compared to the same month in 2024 and increased by 2.7% compared to May 2018, reflecting continued growth in the tourism sector.

India was the largest source of tourists, contributing 47,001 visitors or 35.4% of the total. The United Kingdom, China, Bangladesh, and Germany followed as key markets. (Newswire)

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Tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka have passed the 01 million mark as of 25 May 2025, the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) reported. 

According to the SLTDA,  a total of 1,006,097 tourist arrivals have been reported from 01 January to 25 May.

The SLTDA further said that a total of 109,213 tourist arrivals have been recorded from 01- 25 May 2025.

During this period, the highest number of tourist arrivals was reported from India, which was 39,070 tourists.

The SLTDA further said 7,661 tourists arrived from the United Kingdom, 7,139 from China, 6,143 from Germany, 5,637 from Bangladesh, 4,917 from Australia, 4,660 from France, 2,959 from the USA, 2,950 from Russia, and 2,783 from Canada in May this year. (Newswire)

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Sri Lanka welcomed its 500,000th tourist for 2025 on the last day of February, Deputy Minister of Tourism Ruwan Chaminda Ranasinghe said. 

In a video message, the Deputy Minister said the government’s aim is to welcome 03 million tourists in 2025. 

He further said being able to welcome 500,000 tourists by the end of February has given hope to achieve the yearly target. 

The Deputy Minister of Tourism said plans to promote Sri Lanka as a tourism destination will be introduced within this month. 

Ruwan Chaminda Ranasinghe added that the Tourism Ministry is confident of achieving the tourist arrival target set for 2025. (Newswire)

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Sri Lanka is on track to record its highest-ever tourist arrivals for the month of January, according to the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau.

Based on daily arrival trends, approximately 253,000 tourists are expected to have visited the country by January 31.

From January 1 to 26, 212,838 tourists arrived, with an average daily arrival rate of around 8,000.

The previous record for the highest number of January arrivals was set in 2018, with 238,924 tourists visiting the island.

India remains the largest source market for tourists this January, followed by Russia. The United Kingdom, Germany, and China round out the top five. (Newswire)

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Over 177,400 tourist arrivals have been reported in the first 22 days of January 2025.

According to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), a total of 177,403 tourist arrivals were reported from 01-22 January. 

During this period, the highest number of tourists were reported from India, which was 30,847 arrivals.

A total of 25,608 arrived from Russia, 14,959 from the United Kingdom, 10,873 from Germany, and 9,337 from China, rounding off the top five source markets.

The SLTDA reported that 8,340 tourists arrived from France, 6,851 from Australia, 5,202 from the United States, 5,194 from Poland, and 4,708 from the Netherlands. (Newswire)

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Over 100,000 tourist arrivals have been reported in the first 20 days of November 2024.

According to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), a total of 120,961 tourists have arrived from 01-20 November. 

In November 2024, the highest number of tourist arrivals were from India (26,717), followed by Russia (20,157), Germany (9,444), the United Kingdom (7,715 ), and Australia (4,762).

Tourist arrivals were also reported from China, France, Poland, the US, and the Netherlands during this period. 

The SLTDA further reported that a total of 1,741,676 tourist arrivals have been recorded so far this year. 

Full report: https://www.sltda.gov.lk/storage/common_media/WeeklyReportNOVEMBER-01%20-20.pdf (Newswire)

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Sri Lanka has reported 43,083 tourist arrivals in the first week of July 2024, according to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA). 

The SLTDA reports with the current figures, that a total of 1,053,332 tourist arrivals have been reported so far in 2024. 

From 01-07 July, the highest number of tourists were reported from India which is 13, 693 tourists. 

The SLTDA further said 3,455 tourists were reported from the United Kingdom, 2,640 from China, 2,318 from Australia, and 1,827 from Germany, rounding off the top five source markets.

Tourist arrivals were also reported from France, the USA, Canada, Switzerland, and the Netherlands during this period. 

The SLTDA also predicts a further increase in tourist arrivals in July due to 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 expected to bring over 30,000 religious visitors from over 40 countries to Sri Lanka. (Newswire)

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Sri Lanka has recorded 966,604 tourist arrivals so far in 2024, according to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA). 

As per SLTDA data, in 2024, Sri Lanka reported 208,253 tourist arrivals in January, 218,350 in February, 209,181 in March, 148,867 in April, 112,128 in May, and 69,825 from 01- 19 June. 

The highest number of tourist arrivals in June was reported from India, followed by the United Kingdom, China, the Maldives, Australia, Bangladesh, Germany, the United States, Russia, and France.

From January to June 2024, the highest number of tourists was reported from India, Russia, the United Kingdom, Germany, China, France, Australia, the United States, Poland, and the Maldives. 

Full SLTDA report: https://shorturl.at/rZamm (Newswire)

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Sri Lanka has reported over 600,000 tourist arrivals within the first three months of this year (2024).

According to Minister of Tourism Harin Fernando, a total of 608,475 tourist arrivals have been reported as of 31 March 2024.

Pointing out that each of the first three months of 2024 has recorded over 200,000 tourist arrivals, Minister Harin Fernando said it was a remarkable turnaround for Sri Lanka. 

Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) data shows Sri Lanka has resumed reporting tourist arrival figures almost close to that of 2018.

As per the SLTDA data for 2024, a total of 208,253 tourist arrivals were reported in January,  218,350 tourist arrivals in February, and 209,181 tourist arrivals in March. 

In March, India led the tourist arrivals with 28,218 tourists, followed by 25,112 tourists from Russia, 16,745 tourists from Germany, 16,649 tourists from the United Kingdom, and 11,220 tourists from China. 

Tourist arrivals have also been reported from France, Australia, the United States, Poland, and Canada during this period. 

The full report : https://www.sltda.gov.lk/storage/common_media/WeeklyReportMarch1-27.pdf (NewsWire)

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Over 840,000 passenger arrivals were facilitated by the three international airports in Sri Lanka in January 2024, according to the Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) (Private) Limited (AASL).

Issuing a statement, the AASL said the passenger figures in January 2024 at Sri Lankan airports indicate a promising growth of tourist arrivals, as Sri Lankan airports had facilitated 846,173 total passenger arrivals.

The AASL said among the tourist arrivals 207,182 tourists had travelled through all the airports; Katunayake Airport (BIA), Jaffna International Airport (JIA), and the Mattala Airport (MRIA).

In January 2022, Sri Lanka initially reported 82,327 tourist arrivals which went up to 102,545 arrivals with an increase of 24.5 % for the same period in 2023. In January 2024, Sri Lanka recorded 208,253 tourist arrivals with a remarkable growth of 103% compared to the same period in 2023.

Meanwhile, Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) facilitated 11,801 international tourist arrivals with 102 flight operations and total passenger movements of 23,739. 

Further, the Jaffna International Airport (JIA) facilitated 3,413 international passenger movements and 271 domestic passenger movements in January 2024.

According to the current statistics, BIA facilitated 846,173 international passenger movements in January 2024 with an average of 27,295 passengers a day, the AASL said.

Eng. Athula Galketiya (Chairman of Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) (Private) Limited), remarked, “These numbers indicate that BIA is almost reaching the average daily passenger number handled, approximately 29,800, in the most successful year, handling 10.8 million passengers in 2018. Furthermore, BIA handled 9.9 million passengers in 2019, with an average daily passenger movement of approximately 27,280 passengers.” 

Further In response to the growing number of passengers, the AASL said it is in the process of expanding and upgrading the infrastructural capacity at BIA as a short and medium-term solution. (NewsWire)

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Sri Lanka has recorded over 100,000 tourist arrivals in the first 15 days of January, commencing the new year (2024) with an influx of tourists. 

According to data from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), a total of 101,362 tourist arrivals were recorded in the first half of January 2024.

The figures, which include cruise ship arrivals, are expected to match the 102,545 tourist arrivals that were recorded for the entire month of January in 2023.

Among the top source markets is Russia, leading with 16,263 tourist arrivals, followed by India with 15,324 arrivals, and the United Kingdom (UK) with 7,741 arrivals. 

Tourist arrivals have also been recorded from Germany, China, France, Australia, Poland, the USA and the Netherlands during this period. (NewsWire)

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Sri Lanka has recorded over 1.3 million tourist arrivals so far in 2023, according to data from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA).

The SLTDA reported that 100,750 tourist arrivals have been reported between 01- 17 December.

During this period, the highest number of tourists were reported from India with 20,597 arrivals, followed by 14,156 tourists from Russia, and 10, 281 tourists from the United Kingdom.

Tourist arrivals have also been recorded from Germany, China, Australia, the USA, France, Canada, and Poland. 

The highest tourist arrivals for the year were reported in November (151,496 arrivals), July (143,039 arrivals), and August (136,405 arrivals). (NewsWire)

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