Thursday Feb 26, 2026
Thursday Feb 26, 2026
Wednesday, 25 February 2026 00:27 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
In a remarkable feat for Sri Lanka’s tourism sector, arrivals surpassed the half-a-million mark in just under two months of 2026, sparking optimism about meeting the ambitious target of 3 million visitors by the end of the year.
Year-to-date (YTD), the country welcomed a total of 505,751 tourists, reflecting a 10.7% year-on-year (YoY) growth.
During the first 22 days of February 228,424 visitors have arrived in the country, up 12% YoY amidst the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Colombo.
The daily average arrival figure up to 22 February has climbed YoY to 10,383 from 9,272.
India remains the biggest source for tourists, accounting for 37,216 visitors or 16% of total between 1 and 22 February. India also leads arrivals YTD at 89,277 followed by the UK with 55,407 travellers and Russia with 45,351 tourists.
During the most anticipated India-Pakistan T20 World Cup encounter in Colombo, saw 15 private jets touching down to accommodate high-net-worth profiles. Private jet arrivals remain relatively rare for Sri Lanka, highlighting the scale and profile of the event.
Industry sources confirmed that Hoteliers confirmed full occupancy across Colombo city hotels, with strong spill-over demand extending to properties in Mount Lavinia and Negombo. Industry representatives said the cricket fever has provided a significant boost to short-term travel, particularly from regional markets.
“Businesses are doing extremely well with occupancy at 100% in most hotels,” leading hoteliers told the Daily FT.
They expect the momentum to continue in the coming days as cricket enthusiasts’ travel to Colombo, reinforcing the role of sports tourism as a catalyst for short-term demand growth.
However, industry analysts insisted that it was important for the arrival numbers to be consistent even after the peak season comes to an end by April, with targeted promotions in markets coupled with enhanced air connectivity.
For Sri Lanka to reach the ambitious target of 3 million arrivals by the end of 2026, the industry will need to crank out its best performance, as another 83.14% or roughly 2.49 million visitors must be achieved over the nine months.
Last week Tourism Deputy Minister Prof. Ruwan Ranasinghe announced that until a full-scale global campaign is rolled out, Sri Lanka will launch a Rs. 2 billion interim PR and digital campaign in April for, targeting between 12 and 15 key source markets.
He said the eight-month interim campaign will serve as a bridge, whilst a larger global strategy, currently being prepared with consultancy support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), is finalised.
