Friday Oct 10, 2025
Friday Oct 10, 2025
Wednesday, 8 October 2025 00:20 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Tourism industry has maintained its growth momentum into October, welcoming 34,046 arrivals in the first six days of the month, a robust start following the record-breaking performance in September.
According to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), the country is averaging 5,299 arrivals per day, placing it on track to achieve the monthly target of 197,693 visitors set for October 2025.
The figure reflects a 14% year-on-year (YoY) increase compared to 25,965 visitors recorded during the same period last year, signalling continued confidence in Sri Lanka as a preferred South Asian travel destination.
India once again emerged as the dominant source market, contributing 10,738 visitors, or 31.5% of total arrivals in the first week. China followed with 3,684 tourists (10.8%), while the United Kingdom (2,200; 6.5%), Germany (1,988; 5.8%), and Bangladesh (1,577; 4.6%) rounded out the top five markets.
Year-to-date (YTD) figures show that Sri Lanka has now surpassed 1.75 million arrivals, with India leading at 386,030 visitors (22%), followed by the UK with 164,093 (9%) and Russia with 123,414 (7%).
Industry analysts note that the strong performance in early October builds on the momentum generated during the third quarter, bolstered by improved air connectivity, new destination promotions in key source markets, and the government’s renewed focus on attracting high-value travellers.
To achieve the revised target of 2.6 million tourist arrivals, Sri Lanka will need to attract an additional 840,460 visitors during the final quarter of the year. The initial goal for 2025 had been set at 3 million arrivals.
