Sri Lanka
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Sri Lanka’s tourism sector has begun 2026 on a positive note, recording nearly 132,000 tourist arrivals within the first two weeks of the year, according to official data.
The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) announced that a total of 131,898 tourists visited the country during the first 15 days of January 2026, reflecting a strong start for the tourism industry.
The authority noted that January 15 marked the highest single-day arrival figure for the period, with 10,483 tourists entering Sri Lanka on that day alone.
India emerged as the leading source market, contributing 23,786 arrivals during the first half of the month. Russia followed as the second-largest source with 14,785 tourists, while the United Kingdom recorded 12,166 arrivals. Germany ranked fourth, with 9,260 tourists visiting the island.
Tourism officials view these figures as an encouraging sign for the year ahead, highlighting growing international interest in Sri Lanka as a travel destination and signaling continued recovery and momentum for the sector in 2026.
