Breaking News
Natasha
Natasha
Jun 21 2026
47- May 2026 arrivals outpace global, regional peers
- Revenue collected at same level or better
Sri Lanka’s tourism sector has staged a strong recovery from a disruption-hit start to the year, with May tourist arrivals outpacing global and regional peers, according to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA).
Speaking to The Sunday Morning Business, SLTDA Chairman Buddhika Hewawasam revealed that tourist arrivals in May had increased by around 10% Year-over-Year (YoY), amounting to over 10,000 more tourist arrivals compared to May 2025.
He further stated that when considering the improvement in tourist arrivals to the country following the disruption observed over the previous two months due to the crisis in the Middle East, Sri Lanka’s recovery in tourist arrivals was one of the best in the world and above that of regional competitors.
“Our increase in tourist arrivals is among the best. It’s better than Thailand, the Maldives, and most others,” he stated.
He pointed out that while Sri Lanka had seen tourist arrivals increase by around 10% YoY, the global increase had been only around 3% YoY with the same figure being reflected in most destinations.
Responding to reports of a possible decrease in tourism revenue, the SLTDA Chairman dismissed such claims, stating that revenue collected had been at identical levels or better.
“Last month, when calculating our revenue per tourist, revenue had increased by about $ 5; it was at around $ 148 previously and now it’s at $ 153. Therefore, if you look at the number on a monthly basis, it is better than in May last year,” he stated.
Hewawasam pointed out that while there had been a dip in revenue and tourist arrivals in the preceding months, this was not a phenomenon unique to Sri Lanka. He added that while the entire world had felt the impact, Sri Lanka had recovered faster than most other countries.
Responding to queries on public discourse regarding foreigners engaging in business activities, thereby depriving locals of tourism-related revenue, he stated that they had been taking strict legal action against such individuals. He added that Sri Lanka Tourism, together with other Government departments, was cracking down on those involved in such activities.
“Some are deported, others are being legally prosecuted, and some have been jailed. Even some of the recent cases related to cybercrime involved persons who entered the country under tourism visas; therefore, we were also part of the investigative teams,” he stated.
Hewawasam further revealed that the tourism arrivals target set at the beginning of the year had been 2.8 million. However, he noted that cumulative tourist arrivals to date lagged by around 10% because of the impact felt during March and April due to the Middle East crisis. Prior to that, January and February had seen tourist arrivals record strong YoY growth.
However, he was hopeful that tourist arrivals could see a sharp surge with the commencement of Sri Lanka Tourism’s digital campaign from July onwards, alongside a public relations campaign targeting the main markets.
He admitted, however, that the reduction in travel from Europe due to increased prices and non-availability of connecting hubs remained a challenge. Accordingly, Sri Lanka is looking at alternative markets to cover the shortfall.
According to monthly tourist arrivals data published by the SLTDA, Sri Lanka recorded 277,327 arrivals in January, a 9.7% increase YoY, followed by a stronger 16.2% growth in February, with arrivals reaching 279,328.
However, the Middle East crisis dealt a severe blow to arrivals in March and April, with March recording a sharp decline of 19.8% to 183,979 arrivals, while April saw an even steeper contraction of 22.3% to 135,643 arrivals.
The sector recovered in May, with arrivals climbing to 145,745, which amounted to a YoY increase of 9.6%.
Cumulatively, Sri Lanka recorded 1,022,021 tourist arrivals in the first five months of 2026 against 1,029,803 recorded over the same period in 2025.
