Wednesday Sep 03, 2025
Wednesday Sep 03, 2025
Tuesday, 2 September 2025 02:55 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
A family captures a memorable moment with traditional dancers upon their arrival at Bandaranaike International Airport
By Charumini de Silva
Sri Lanka welcomed 198,235 tourists in August, recording a 20.4% year-on-year (YoY) increase, but performance slipped against expectations, falling short of the monthly target and trailing both July 2025 and the 2018 benchmark.
Arrivals in August met only 79.6% of the official monthly target of 249,019, leaving a shortfall of 50,784 visitors. The tally also dipped below July’s 200,244 and was narrowly behind August 2018 by 2,124 travellers, signalling that momentum is softening at a critical point in the year.
Despite the miss, cumulative arrivals for 2025 reached over 1.56 million (1,566,523), registering 13% YoY growth. However, to meet the ambitious target set by Sri Lanka Tourism to reach 3 million visitors by year-end, the country must now attract an additional 1,433,477 travellers in just four months. This means monthly arrivals would need to average 358,369—an 81% jump from August’s actual performance and far above the country’s historical peaks.
The weekly arrivals show a front-loaded boost from the Kandy Esala Perahera, which lifted the first week’s footfall to 54,217, followed by 53,176 in the second week. However, the third and fourth weeks saw declines to 44,442 and 46,400, respectively, underscoring a tapering trend once the festival crowds departed. The daily average stood at 6,395 tourists, up 20.4% from 5,310 in August 2024, but still not strong enough to bridge the widening gap with annual targets.
Source markets remain concentrated, where India led August with 46,473 tourists (23.44%), followed by the UK with 19,764 (9.97%), Germany with 12,500 (6.31%), China with 12,294 (6.20%), and Italy with 12,247 (6.18%). These five accounted for just over a half of all arrivals during the month, while other countries include France, Spain, Australia, the Netherlands, and Japan.
Year-to-date (YTD), India remains the undisputed leader with 325,595 arrivals or 20.78%, while the UK and Russia trail with 151,141 and 118,916, respectively, underscoring both the strength and over-reliance on a few key markets.
Industry stakeholders are increasingly critical of the Government’s inability to roll out a cohesive global marketing push and free-visa policy.
In response to mounting concerns, President Anura Kumara Disanayake last month established a Presidential Task Force through Extraordinary Gazette No. 2450/27 to spearhead the five-year Sri Lanka Tourism Development Program (https://www.ft.lk/front-page/AKD-gazettes-Presidential-Task-Force-to-roll-out-five-year-National-Tourism-Development-Program/44-780737). The Task Force has been granted sweeping powers to coordinate across Ministries, ensure accountability, and deliver results.
However, industry analysts note that the move, while welcome, comes dangerously late in the year to influence immediate performance. “Even assuming a solid winter bounce, the math implies the target is aspirational without an immediate, high-visibility push across major source markets,” they said.
The nation branding campaign, expected to be the centrepiece of Sri Lanka Tourism in 2025, has stalled again after the National Procurement Commission ordered fresh tenders (https://www.ft.lk/front-page/Tourism-plans-face-fresh-delays/44-780794).
To achieve 3 million arrivals by December, Sri Lanka would need to attract 80% more visitors per month than it managed in August. The timing of these moves leaves little comfort to the industry. With only four months remaining, Sri Lanka would need to average close to 358,000 monthly arrivals, nearly double August’s performance, to achieve its 3 million target.
By comparison, the highest-ever single month for arrivals was March 2018, which brought in just over 233,000 visitors.
Industry analysts pointed out that unless the branding campaign, visa facilitation, and coordinated market activations switch from promise to performance fast, 2025 risks ending as another “close-but-not-quite” year and the crucial winter season could be more a missed opportunity than a milestone.
For many in the industry, the worry is not just about missing 2025’s targets but about eroding Sri Lanka’s standing as a competitive destination. Without decisive and timely action, they caution, the country risks losing not just one season, but the credibility of its long-term tourism strategy.
