Sri Lanka records over $2.24 Bn in tourism earnings as visitor arrivals near 1.7 Mn mark
Sri Lanka generated USD 2,245.2 million in tourism revenue during the first nine months of 2026, welcoming a total of 1,693,679 international visitors, according to official data released by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) and the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA).
The island nation’s tourism sector maintained a steady momentum into the third quarter, with revenue for the month of September alone reaching USD 185.6 million, a slight increase compared to the USD 182.9 million recorded during the same period last year.
India remained Sri Lanka’s top tourist source market by a wide margin, contributing 437,414 arrivals (25.8% of total visitors) between January and September representing a 16.6% year-on-year increase. Other major source countries for the period included the United Kingdom (160,727), China (112,550), Germany (97,278), and Australia (86,989). Strong performance from the Asia-Pacific region helped cushion soft demand in traditional Western European markets, with China and Australia expanding by 10.8% and 12.4% year-on-year, respectively. Despite macroeconomic shifts and global travel trends, total arrivals for the nine-month period saw only a minor year-on-year contraction of 1.8% compared to the 1,725,494 arrivals recorded in 2025. Industry stakeholders remain optimistic as the country enters its high-season winter period running from October through March.
With expanded air connectivity, promotional roadshows in key source markets, and Visa-Free ETA initiatives active for select nations, the tourism authority expects robust visitor inflows to drive further foreign exchange gains in the final quarter of the year. (MFJ)
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