SL draws over 43,000 tourists in first week of December despite Ditwah

• Arrivals up 5.2% YoY during opening week, strengthening 2025 outlook
• Pushes YTD figure to over 2.14 m, up 16.3% YoY

The tourism industry has posted a strong opening week for December, welcoming 43,329 visitors in the first seven days of the month despite the disruptions caused by Cyclone Ditwah, reflecting a 5.2% year-on-year 

(YoY) increase. 



The performance also pushes year-to-date (YTD) arrivals to over 2.14 million, marking a 16.3% growth compared with the same period last year.

India continued its lead as Sri Lanka’s largest tourist source market during the first week of December, contributing 8,890 arrivals, or 21% of the total. It was followed by Russia with 4,735 travellers, Germany with 4,399 visitors, the UK with 3,053, and China with 2,571 tourists.

Other notable contributors included travellers from Australia, Poland, France, the US, and Spain.

The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) has projected 344,309 arrivals for December. Based on current trends and the daily average of 6,190 visitors registered in the first week, it appears that the country is well-placed to meet this forecast. 

Cumulatively, India has driven the strongest inflows YTD with 483,785 visitors, followed by the UK with 194,795, Russia with 163,328, Germany with 135,658, and China with 124,242.

The strength of India and the European markets has been instrumental in sustaining double-digit growth throughout the year.

If the country achieves the expected December total, annual arrivals for 2025 will likely close at around 2.44-2.45 million. This outcome fits neatly within the SLTDA’s ‘Lower Scenario’ of 2.415 million and aligns closely with external projections such as CT Smith Securities’ estimate of 2.4 million arrivals for the year. 

Sri Lanka originally targeted 3 million arrivals and $ 5 billion in tourism earnings for 2025. The SLTDA later revised expectations into three forecast paths: a ‘Lower Scenario’ of 2.415 million arrivals, a ‘Conservative Scenario’ of 2.676 million, and an ‘Optimistic Scenario’ of 3 million.

Assessing the current performance, it places the country firmly within the lower range and possibly edging towards the ‘Conservative Scenario’ depending on December’s final numbers. However, the optimistic target of 3 million remains out of reach.

A recent sector analysis by CT Smith Securities reinforces this view, projecting 2.4 million arrivals and $ 3.4 billion in earnings for 2025. 

The report noted that while the industry has made one of its strongest recoveries since the disruptions of 2019 to 2022, the time needed for long-haul source markets to fully scale up and capacity limitations across the sector mean that exponential year-end growth is unlikely. 

It added that the outlook for 2026 is more upbeat, with visitor numbers expected to reach 3 million and tourism revenue projected at $ 4.3 billion.

The strong first-week performance provides further momentum, suggesting that December’s full-month arrival requirement is well within reach. 

This was further cemented by leading industry associations—The Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) and Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO)—reassuring that the outlook for the season remains strong, supported by coordinated industry action, strong diplomatic engagement, and reaffirmed confidence from global travel partners.

Even with the unlikelihood of reaching the ambitious original target, the industry experts noted that Sri Lanka is poised to close 2025 with its highest post-crisis performance. 

“The resilience shown during the first week of December, in spite of weather-related disruptions, underscores renewed confidence in the destination and strengthens the foundation for tourism growth heading into 2026,” they added.