258,928 visitors in December push tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka in 2025 to record high
December’s total 258,928 visitors enabled Sri Lanka to record its highest ever tourist arrivals – 2,362,521 in a single year, edging past the 2018 record of 2, 333,796 visitors. Year-on-year, it is also 15 % higher than the 2, 053,465 arrivals recorded in 2024, underlining the sector’s recovery momentum.
In December, India topped the list with 56,715 tourists, accounting for 22% of arrivals, followed by Russia at 11% (27,987), the UK at 8% (20,535), Germany 6% (16,707), and Australia 6% (14,820). Other notable contributors included travellers from China, the US, France, Poland, and Italy.
India remained as Sri Lanka’s largest tourism market in 2025, contributing 531,511 visitors. The UK followed with 212,277 tourists, while the Russian Federation accounted for 186,580 arrivals. Germany with 147,966 travellers and China with 132,035 visitors rounded out the top five source markets.
Together, these five countries contributed well over half of total tourist arrivals during the year, underscoring Sri Lanka’s reliance on a concentrated set of core markets.
Financially, during the first 11 months of 2025, tourism generated over $ 2.9 billion, a modest 3.7% increase year-on-year (YoY). Although this suggests improving yields and spending, revenues remain 34.2% below the $ 3.9 billion earned during the same period in 2018, the year Sri Lanka posted its record annual tourism income of $ 4.38 billion.
In effect, arrivals have rebounded faster than receipts, pointing to ongoing pressure on pricing, length of stay or per-capita spending. Taken together, the data paint a picture of an industry that has regained its footing but is still struggling to reach higher altitude, whilst highlighting the widening gap between aspiration and actual performance.
According to the Chairman of Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority Sri Lanka is now targeting 3.0 million tourists in 2026, with marketing support, “We are aiming at reaching 3 million tourists, and we are aiming at reaching 5 billion dollars in revenue. That might be a challenging figure” he said in a video statement. Going on to add “This year we spent a minimum in our marketing campaign. We did not do much marketing. We did not do global campaigns or positioning. We achieved this number (close to 2.4 million) because we rightly targeted particular market segments. But next year we are investing in marketing.”
Industry analysts said meeting higher targets in future years will depend less on aspirational numbers and more on boosting revenue generation whilst expanding airline connectivity, implementing the long awaited free-visa proposal for over 40 countries, and a nation branding campaign to sustainably support growth beyond the 2.4 million mark.
Sri Lanka announced plans to introduce a visa-free entry program for visitors from 40 countries, scheduled to begin in January 2026 – subject to parliamentary approval, which according to the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau chairman was expected “any moment now”. The free-visa scheme was first announced in July 2025, with cabinet approval granted at the time. It followed an earlier announcement in August 2024 to allow visa-free travel for nationals of 35 countries, which was not implemented.
The first flight of Vision Air from the Kishinev, the capital of Moldova arrived in Sri Lanka on December 27. This winter season, six Vision Air flights will haul around 1,500 tourists.
Beijing Capital Airlines is scheduled to commence on 31 January 2026.
Sky Up airlines is also due to fly from Moldova’s capital Kishinev to Sri Lanka. The flights will bring mainly Ukrainian tourists, as all airports in Ukraine are now closed.
Jetstar will take off from Australia to Sri Lanka from 25 August 2026. Flying three times a week between Melbourne and Colombo and offering more than 100,000 low-fare seats a year on the new route.
The USD 60 departure tax imposed on passengers travelling via the Mattala International Airport has been removed by the Ministry of Finance and will remain in force until 26th June 2026.
Hospitality Sri Lanka
|
|
|
|
