Tourist arrivals cross 300,000-mark early February

Sri Lanka surpassed the 300,000 tourist arrivals mark in early February, signaling another strong year for the country’s tourism sector.

Tourist arrivals for February up to the 4 stood at 40,450, bringing total arrivals for the year to 317,318.

The United Kingdom emerged as the second-largest source market with 34,724 visitors, driven largely by fans travelling with the English cricket team. India remained the top source market with 57,348 arrivals.

Russia, amid a harsh winter season, ranked third with 30,951 visitors, followed by Germany with 20,272 and China with 16,315 arrivals.

Daily arrivals in February averaged around 9,000, reflecting sustained momentum at the start of the year.

In 2025, Sri Lanka recorded its highest-ever tourist arrivals at 2,362,521, surpassing the previous record of 2,333,796 set in 2018.

However, concerns remain that tourism earnings did not fully reflect the high arrival numbers, raising questions about visitor spending and yield.