The number of foreign tourists arrivals in Sri Lanka fell by 9.9% year-on-year to 124,551 in June 2026 after a 9.6% increase in the previous month. This marked the lowest monthly number of arrivals since September 2024 and the third decrease this year. Still, the figures indicate sustained travel interest, with regional markets particularly India, playing a key role in supporting Sri Lanka’s tourism sector. India contributed 43,423 visitors, accounting for 35% of total arrivals and reinforcing its position as the leading driver of inbound tourism to the island. This was followed by the UK (8%), Australia (7%), China (7%), and the US (3%). Sri Lanka has set an ambitious target of 3 million tourist arrivals for 2026 after falling short of its goal last year. However, total arrivals in the first half of 2026 stood at 1,146,573, down 15.1% from the same period a year earlier, reflecting weaker arrivals in recent months amid disruptions caused by the Middle East conflict. source: Ceylon Tourist Board

Tourist Arrivals in Sri Lanka decreased to 124551 in June from 145745 in May of 2026. Tourist Arrivals in Sri Lanka averaged 60207.25 from 1977 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 279328.00 in February of 2026 and a record low of 0.00 in April of 2020. This page provides - Sri Lanka Tourist Arrivals - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news. Sri Lanka Tourist Arrivals - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on July of 2026.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-06-05 12:00 AM
Tourist Arrivals YoY
May 9.65% -22.3%
2026-07-09 11:15 PM
Tourist Arrivals YoY
Jun -9.9% 9.65%
2026-08-07 02:00 AM
Tourist Arrivals YoY
Jul -9.9%


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Balance of Trade -968.00 -1383.00 USD Million May 2026
Current Account 623.00 -134.00 USD Million Mar 2026
Current Account to GDP 1.60 1.20 percent of GDP Dec 2025
Exports 1224.00 1074.10 USD Million May 2026
Exports by Category
Exports by Country
External Debt 54524.85 54806.79 USD Million Mar 2026
Foreign Direct Investment 184.29 496.43 USD Million Mar 2026
Gold Reserves 0.47 0.47 Tonnes Jun 2025
Imports 2192.00 2457.00 USD Million May 2026
Imports by Category
Imports by Country
Remittances 767.90 814.80 USD Million Apr 2026
Terms of Trade 72.80 73.79 points May 2026
Terrorism Index 0.00 0.00 Points Dec 2025
Tourism Revenues 155.70 164.30 USD Million May 2026
Tourist Arrivals YoY 124551.00 145745.00 Jun 2026


Sri Lanka Tourist Arrivals
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
124551.00 145745.00 279328.00 0.00 1977 - 2026 Monthly

News Stream
Sri Lanka Tourist Arrivals Lowest Since 2024
The number of foreign tourists arrivals in Sri Lanka fell by 9.9% year-on-year to 124,551 in June 2026 after a 9.6% increase in the previous month. This marked the lowest monthly number of arrivals since September 2024 and the third decrease this year. Still, the figures indicate sustained travel interest, with regional markets particularly India, playing a key role in supporting Sri Lanka’s tourism sector. India contributed 43,423 visitors, accounting for 35% of total arrivals and reinforcing its position as the leading driver of inbound tourism to the island. This was followed by the UK (8%), Australia (7%), China (7%), and the US (3%). Sri Lanka has set an ambitious target of 3 million tourist arrivals for 2026 after falling short of its goal last year. However, total arrivals in the first half of 2026 stood at 1,146,573, down 15.1% from the same period a year earlier, reflecting weaker arrivals in recent months amid disruptions caused by the Middle East conflict.
2026-07-09
Sri Lanka Tourist Arrivals Recover in May
The number of foreign tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka grew by 9.65% year-on-year to 145,745 in May 2026, after a 22.3% slump in the previous month. This marked the highest number of arrivals in three months, with India remaining the top source market, contributing 60,342 visitors and accounting for 42% of total arrivals, continuing its strong position as the leading inbound tourism driver for the island. This was followed by the UK (6%), China (6%), Germany (5%), and Australia (4%). Sri Lanka has set an ambitious target of 3 million arrivals for 2026, after missing the goal last year. Despite a decline of tourist arrivals in the prior months due to the Middle East war conflict, a recovery has been observed with a total of 134,530 tourists visiting the country in the first five months of the year, noting a resurgence in tourist arrivals.
2026-06-05
Sri Lanka Tourist Arrivals Drop 22% in April
The number of foreign tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka dropped by 22.3% year-on-year to 135,643 in April 2026, following a 19.7% fall in the previous month. This marked the lowest number of arrivals since May last year and the second consecutive yearly decline. Still, the country’s tourism sector showed signs of steady growth with the number foreign tourist arrivals reaching a total of 904,855 from January 1 through May 6. Among key source markets, India remained the top source market, contributing 42,645 visitors in April and accounting for 31% of total arrivals, continuing its strong position as the leading inbound tourism driver for the island. This was followed by China (8%), UK (8%), Australia (7%), and Russia (5%). On a monthly basis, foreign tourist arrivals fell by 26.3%.
2026-05-12