Tourism earnings rise for third consecutive month in October, but 10-month revenue remains down 8.3%

Monday, 16 November 2026 05:12 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

October earnings up 3.5% YoY to $ 192.7 m
YTD earnings fall to $ 2.43 b from $ 2.65 b a year earlier

Sri Lanka’s tourism earnings registered a third consecutive monthly increase in October, rising 3.5% year-on-year (YoY) to $ 192.7 million, after recording its highest-ever monthly tourist arrivals during the month, welcoming 168,625 visitors as demand strengthened ahead of the winter season, according to the latest data released by the Central Bank.

However, the latest monthly gain has yet to reverse the broader weakness in the sector. Tourism earnings during the first 10 months of 2026 fell 8.3% YoY to $ 2.43 billion, compared with $ 2.65 billion in the corresponding period last year.

The earnings figures have been affected by the SLTDA’s revision of its estimates for tourists’ average daily expenditure and length of stay from October 2025, making comparisons with earlier periods more challenging.

Tourism revenue has also faced pressure amid geopolitical uncertainty and the impact of the conflict involving the US-Israel and Iran, which escalated on 28 February 2026.

Although the consecutive monthly increases offer some indication of improvement, the decline in cumulative earnings highlights the continuing challenge of translating visitor arrivals into stronger tourism receipts.