Tourism revenue sees moderate growth in May

Monday, 9 June 2025 01:35 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

May tourism earnings up 7% YoY to $ 164.1 m — but lowest monthly inflow in 2025 so far
Month-on-month basis May earnings down 56.4% in tandem with low arrivals
First five months' income hits $ 1.54 b, up 10% YoY

Sri Lanka’s tourism earnings in May was $ 164.1 million, reflecting a 7% increase year-on-year (YoY), but also marking the lowest monthly income in 2025 so far, the latest data released by the Central Bank showed.

Despite the positive annual uptick, May marked the lowest monthly revenue figure so far in 2025 in tandem with the low footfall during the month.

On a month-on-month basis, earnings from tourism saw a steep decline of 56.4% in May, underscoring the volatility of tourism flows without consistent marketing and strategic positioning. Nevertheless, the May 2025 earnings from tourism still represent the highest revenue recorded for that month since 2019, suggesting a degree of recovery in the sector.

However, during the first five months, the sector has generated over $ 1.54 billion in revenue, marking a 10% increase earned in the same period in 2024.

Sri Lanka generated a total of $ 3.16 billion in tourism revenue in 2024, a significant 53.2% rise from the $ 2.07 billion in 2023.

Based on that momentum, the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) has set an ambitious target of attracting 3 million visitors and generating $ 5 billion in revenue by the end of this year.

In response to growing concerns from the private sector, the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) last Friday announced the long-awaited launch of its ‘Nation Branding Campaign’ scheduled to be unveiled on 26 June (https://www.ft.lk/top-story/Sri-Lanka-Tourism-to-unveil-long-awaited-Nation-Branding-Campaign-on-26-June/26-777452).

SLTPB described the upcoming event as an “extraordinary” gathering, promising to bring together top State officials, key private sector players, tourism experts and guests on a single platform.

The move is something the private-sector-run industry stakeholders have constantly urged the authorities and the Government to expedite the campaign, stressing that without a robust promotional push, only through an ‘organic footfall’ — the ambitious target of attracting 3 million tourists and generating $ 5 billion in revenue for 2025 is unrealistic.

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