Tourist Arrivals Rise, Earnings Flat in Year-End 2025

Sri Lanka recorded a year-on-year increase in tourist arrivals in November–December 2025, but foreign exchange earnings remained largely flat, according to provisional SLTDA and Central Bank estimates.

Arrivals in November are estimated at 225,000, rising to around 240,000–245,000 in December, driven by strong winter demand from Europe and Russia. However, tourism earnings for the two months are provisionally placed at US$ 760–800 million, only marginally higher than the same period in 2024.

Industry data shows that the average daily tourist spend has declined to about US$ 148, well below pre-crisis levels. Spending has increasingly shifted away from Colombo toward leisure destinations such as Ella, Ahangama, Weligama and Mirissa, particularly along the southern coast.

Despite cyclone-related disruptions earlier in 2025, southern tourism rebounded quickly, reinforcing a broader shift toward experience-led and community-based travel models.

and accommodative monetary policy. Inflation is projected to stabilise at 4.5 percent in 2026, providing a conducive environment for continued recovery in private consumption and investment

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