Tourist arrivals exceed 1.9 m

Tuesday, 10 November 2026 00:50 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

First four days of Nov. welcome 49,929 visitors, down 8.7% YoY
Cumulative arrivals between 1-8 Nov. at 1.91 m, down 1.7%
Indian visitors dominate YTD arrivals, cross 500,000

SRI Lanka’s tourism arrivals surpassed 1.9 million in 2026, with over 49,900 visitors registered in the first eight days of November, but remained below last year’s pace ahead of the crucial winter season.

According to the latest data released by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), a total of 49,929 tourists arrived between 1 and 8 November, averaging 6.241 visitors a day and taking cumulative arrivals to 1,912,233.

However, arrivals during the opening four days of November were down 8.78% year-on-year (YoY), while the cumulative figure remained below 1.7% YoY.

India continued to dominate the market, accounting for 12,401 arrivals or 25% of the November arrivals so far, followed by Russia with 5,483 visitors, while the UK contributed 3,541 travellers.

The strong Indian presence has also reinforced its position as Sri Lanka’s largest source market year-to-date (YTD). India has generated 512,026 arrivals, marking the first market to cross the milestone of total arrivals so far in 2026. The UK ranked second with 176,670 visitors, followed by China with 125,326 arrivals.