## 📈 Jan. Tourism: Record Arrivals Meet Revenue Realities

Sri Lanka's tourism sector started 2026 with a paradox, hitting an all-time high in visitor numbers while witnessing a contraction in total foreign exchange earnings. • Overall Figures (Jan 2026) Earnings: US$ 378.5 Mn (Down 5.6% YoY). Arrivals: 277,327 (Up 9.7% YoY) — the highest monthly total on record. Monthly Growth: Revenue rose 23% compared to December 2025, driven by the winter peak. • The Spending Gap The revenue dip is largely attributed to a downward revision in estimated daily tourist spending. Following an SLTDA survey, average daily expenditure was adjusted from US$ 172 to US$ 148. This trend marks the 5th revenue decline in the last 7 months, signaling a shift toward lower-spending traveler profiles. • Top Source Markets India: 52,061 arrivals (19% share). UK: 29,540 arrivals (11% share). Russia: 27,134 arrivals (10% share). Other key markets: Germany, China, and France. • Economic Context & Outlook Tourism currently accounts for nearly 3% of the economy. While the 2025 total earnings reached US$ 3.22 Bn (up 1.6% YoY), analysts emphasize that increasing high-value tourism is vital to strengthening the national forex position. The government maintains a target of 3.0 million arrivals for 2026 to offset lower per-capita spending.