Tourist arrivals surge 30%, but 2025 goal looks elusive

Sri Lanka, which set an ambitious target of 2.5 million tourist arrivals for 2025, has attracted 1,788,235 visitors as of 12 October, with average daily arrivals exceeding 5,000.

India continued to lead as the top source market with 18,299 arrivals, marking a 29.2% increase, while China secured the second position with 5,417 visitors, reflecting an 8.6% growth.

In September 2025, Sri Lanka recorded 158,971 tourist arrivals — a 30.2% year-on-year increase compared to September 2024.

However, industry analysts note that current trends indicate the 2.5 million targets may not be met by the end of the year.

From a revenue perspective, tourism earnings reached USD 182.9 million in September 2025, down from USD 258.9 million in August, though slightly higher than the USD 181 million recorded in September 2024.

The decline in monthly earnings despite steady arrivals has raised concerns within the industry over declining average spending and shorter stay durations.