COLOMBO, Jan 18: Sri Lanka received a total of 2.3 million tourists in 2025, with Indian travellers accounting for the largest share, according to figures released by the tourism authority.
“India remains the undisputed leading source market, contributing 531,511 arrivals, more than double the next highest country. This reflects a remarkable year-on-year increase of over 114,000 visitors,” an official statement issued by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) said on Saturday.
It was a year-on-year growth of over 15 per cent, it added.
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The UK solidifies its position as the second-highest market with 21,277 arrivals.
The Indian arrivals averaged over 23 per cent per month, with December being the highest number of 56,715 arrivals. February was the lowest with 35,000 Indians travelling.
The cumulative arrivals in December, 2,58,928, were the highest for the year. “This confirms the country’s established appeal as a vacation destination,” it said.
Europe and the Asia Pacific account for the dominant 92.7 per cent of all arrivals, with Europe alone contributing 51.3 per cent, which the tourism authority said establishes Sri Lanka’s appeal as a winter sun destination.
A total of 1,31,898 tourists have already visited the country during the first 15 days of 2026, according to the SLTDA.
The highest number of arrivals in a single day was recorded on January 15, with 10,483 tourists arriving in the country that day, Ada Derana reported. During this period, India accounted for the largest number of arrivals, with 23,786 visitors, followed by Russia with 14,785 tourists, the United Kingdom with 12,166 travellers, and Germany with 9,260 visitors. (PTI)
