Sri Lanka tourist arrivals surpass 1.3 million in 2026
Reported by Ada Derana
7 hours ago
Sri Lanka has recorded over 1.3 million tourist arrivals in 2026 as of July 26, with India leading as the top source market. February saw the highest monthly arrivals at 279,328, while India contributed 332,468 visitors year-to-date.
According to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), the country received 1,313,974 tourists between January 1 and July 26, 2026. In the first 26 days of July alone, 167,401 international visitors arrived.
Among July arrivals, India accounted for 38,785 tourists (23.0%), followed by the United Kingdom with 18,417, the Netherlands with 10,540, China with 10,238, and Australia with 8,466. On a year-to-date basis, India remained the leading source market with 332,468 arrivals.
The United Kingdom was the second-largest source market for the year with 126,986 arrivals, and China ranked third with 86,409 visitors. The highest monthly arrivals in 2026 occurred in February, when 279,328 tourists entered the country.