First four days of 2026 draw over 33,000 tourists

Monday, 12 January 2026 03:41 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The country’s tourism industry has begun 2026 on an optimistic note, with arrivals in the first four days of January surpassing 33,000, reflecting steady momentum at the start of the New Year.

According to the latest data, the country welcomed 33,076 tourists from 1 to 4 January, marking a 3% year-on-year (YoY) increase compared to the 25,620 arrivals registered during the same period in 2025.

The growth was driven largely by increased arrivals from India, which emerged as the leading source market.

Average daily arrivals during the period rose to 8,269 visitors, up from 8,059 a year earlier, indicating a modest but encouraging improvement in inbound tourism flows.

India topped the list of source markets, accounting for 5,065 arrivals or 15% of the total. It was followed by Russia with 12% (3,948 arrivals), the UK with 9% (2,914), Germany with 9% (2,862), and Australia with 5% (1,790). Other key markets contributing to the early-year performance included Poland, the US, Italy, China, and France.

The positive start aligns with Sri Lanka Tourism’s ambitious targets for 2026, which include welcoming at least 3 million tourists and generating $ 5 billion in tourism revenue. Over the medium term, the industry aims to increase arrivals to 5 million and earnings to $ 8 billion within the next four years, under its long-term growth strategy.

In 2025, Sri Lanka recorded an all-time high of over 2.36 million tourist arrivals, generating over $ 3.2 billion in tourism income, underscoring the sector’s continued recovery and its growing contribution to the national economy.

However, industry experts opined that it was important for the authorities to focus on value generation this year rather than on footfall, as tourism earnings have a bigger impact on overall economic activities and growth.