Tourism arrivals top 1.05mn, despite decline in revenue

Tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka from June 1 to June 10, 2026, reached 37,459, bringing total arrivals for the year to 1,059,481.

India remained the largest source market, contributing 265,477 visitors, followed by the United Kingdom with 100,827 arrivals, the Russian Federation with 76,462, China with 70,160, and Germany in fifth place with 67,101 arrivals.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's tourism sector generated only US$1.111 billion in revenue from January to April 2026. This was significantly lower than the US$1.379 billion recorded during the corresponding period in 2025, reflecting a sharp decline of 19.4%.

Tourism earnings for April 2026 amounted to US$157 million, compared with US$256 million recorded in April 2025, highlighting a substantial drop in industry revenue despite the continued growth in visitor arrivals.