Sri Lanka
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Sri Lanka’s tourism industry continued its upward momentum in October 2025, recording 137,876 tourist arrivals in the first 26 days of the month — a 21.8% increase compared to the 113,189 arrivals during the same period last year.
This strong monthly performance has brought the total number of tourist arrivals to 1,863,370 for the year as of October 26, reflecting a 16.6% year-on-year growth from 1,597,997 in 2024.
However, according to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), the country still faces challenges in reaching its 2025 annual targets. The SLTDA’s projections outline three possible outcomes:
Lower Scenario: 2.415 million arrivals
Conservative Scenario: 2.676 million arrivals
Optimistic Scenario: 3.0 million arrivals
With current arrivals at 1.86 million, the nation remains behind schedule to meet these projections. The 137,876 arrivals recorded so far in October are below the Lower Scenario target of 162,562 and the Conservative Scenario target of 176,381 for the full month.
To achieve even the most conservative projection, a significant boost in November and December arrivals will be essential.
India continues to lead as Sri Lanka’s top tourism market, contributing 41,095 tourists (29.8% share) in October alone. The United Kingdom followed with 11,033 arrivals (8%), while China (9,599), the Russian Federation (8,507), and Germany (7,956) rounded out the top five markets.
Year-to-date, India has sent 416,387 visitors, maintaining its dominant position, followed by the UK (172,926), Russia (130,651), Germany (114,944), and China (111,189).
As the island nation heads into the final two months of 2025, stakeholders are optimistic yet realistic—acknowledging that Sri Lanka’s full-year target will depend on a strong finish driven by seasonal tourism peaks and global travel trends.
