UK jumps to second place among Sri Lanka’s top tourism markets

Sri Lanka’s tourist arrivals landscape has seen a notable shift in July, with the United Kingdom moving into second place among the top 10 source markets for the month, a position it has regained after several decades.

In the overall arrivals calendar from January to July 19, India continued to lead the market with 321,257 visitors, followed by the United Kingdom with 121,353 and China with 83,318 arrivals.

During the period from July 1 to 19, India remained the largest source market with 27,574 visitors, while the United Kingdom moved into second place with 12,786 arrivals. China followed with 7,147 visitors, while the Netherlands and Australia ranked fourth and fifth with 6,770 and 6,699 arrivals, respectively.

Total tourist arrivals from January 1 to July 19 reached 1,265,508, while arrivals during July 1 to 19 stood at 118,935.

A positive development has been the improvement in daily arrival numbers, which have now exceeded 6,000 visitors per day, indicating continued momentum in the tourism sector.

However, arrivals in July are still expected to remain below the July 2025 figure of 200,244 visitors, as the industry continues to recover and build on recent growth momentum. (SS)