Indian Tourists Power July Recovery as Tourist Arrivals Top 1.28m YTD 📈

Sri Lanka's tourism sector saw a strong rebound in July, driven by robust demand from India and narrowing the year-on-year (YoY) decline despite Middle Eastern aviation route disruptions. • Key Figures & Recovery • July Performance: 138,730 arrivals in the first 22 days of July, narrowing the YoY decline to just 0.4%. • Sequential Rebound: Daily average rose to 6,306 visitors, up significantly from June's 124,551 total arrivals. • YTD Total: Over 1.28 million tourists welcomed in 2026 so far. • Top Source Markets (July 1-22) • India: 31,734 visitors (23% share) • UK: 14,959 visitors (11% share) • China: 8,484 visitors (6% share) • Netherlands: 8,415 visitors (6% share) • Australia: 7,419 visitors (5% share) • YTD Market Share & High-Value Trends • India Lead: 325,417 arrivals YTD (25% total share), followed by the UK (123,526) and China (72,816). • Higher Daily Spend: Indian visitors average ~$154/day, outpacing the national average ($148/day) due to growing demand for niche wildlife & marine tourism ($160–$170/day). • Sector Outlook & Challenges • Strong direct flight expansion by SriLankan Airlines and IndiGo continues to bolster Indian arrivals. • Geopolitical tensions and airspace closures in the Middle East continue to constrain high-spending long-haul European transit traffic.