According to official statistics, the number of visitors to Sri Lanka experienced a slight decline of 0.26 percent in September 2026 compared to the same month the previous year.

In total, the island welcomed 158,557 visitors in September, down from 158,971 in September 2025.

India remained the leading contributor to visitor numbers, with 51,931 travelers, representing 32 percent of all arrivals. Additionally, 11,722 visitors came from China, while Australia contributed 10,951 travelers.

Since the beginning of the year, Sri Lanka has received 1,693,679 visitors. However, there was a 3.3 percent decrease in tourist arrivals compared to August of this year.

During the January to August 2026 period, total arrivals decreased by 2 percent compared to the same timeframe in 2025.

Tourism revenue for August was estimated at 264 million dollars, reflecting a 2.1 percent increase from the previous year. Nonetheless, total tourism earnings for the January to August 2026 period dropped by 10 percent, amounting to 2.1 billion dollars when compared to 2025.