Tourist arrivals rise 5% in first 22 days of October

Saturday, 24 October 2026 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Welcomes 119,805 visitors in the first 22 days, but YTD arrivals decline 1.42% YoY
Indian visitors account for 38% of October and 27% of YTD, followed by UK, China

Sri Lanka welcomed 119,805 tourists during the first 22 days of October, registering a 5.03% year-on-year (YoY) increase, but cumulative arrivals remained 1.42% below the corresponding period last year as the industry entered its crucial winter season.

The latest figures lifted year-to-date (YTD) arrivals to over 1.81 million, compared with over 1.83 million during the same period in 2025, highlighting the challenge facing the sector in closing the gap before the end of the year and also to maximise tourism earnings from the arrivals secured.

Average daily arrivals increased to 5,446 during the first 22 days of October, from 5,185 in the corresponding period last year with the highest daily footfall at 7,045 visitors on 17 October. Arrivals were registered at 35,786 in the first week of October and 35,400 in the second, before rising to 42,739 in the third week. A further 5,880 visitors arrived on 22 October.

India remained Sri Lanka’s largest source market, accounting for 45,530 visitors, or 38% of arrivals during the period. The UK followed with 8,678 visitors (7%), closely followed by China with 8,430 (7%). Australia contributed 6,064 visitors (5%), while Germany accounted for 5,642 (5%).

Cumulative figures continued to underline India’s dominance, with 482,944 arrivals, representing 27% of the total arrivals. The UK ranked second with 169,405 visitors (9%), followed by China with 120,980 (7%), Germany with 102,920 (6%) and Australia with 93,053 (5%).

The October improvement comes as the tourism industry approaches its traditionally strong winter travel period, which will be critical in determining whether Sri Lanka can regain momentum and move closer to its annual arrival target.

However, the sector remains some distance from its pre-crisis performance. Sri Lanka recorded around 1.88 million tourist arrivals by the end of October 2018, against which the country would need approximately another 80,000 visitors to reach that benchmark based on the cumulative figure reported for 22 October 2026.

The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) revised its full-year arrival projections in September amid the continuing impact of the Middle East conflict, higher energy costs and uncertainty surrounding international travel.