Sri Lanka Tourism Records All-Time High January Arrivals 📈

Sri Lanka’s tourism sector has hit a major milestone, recording its highest-ever January arrivals with 277,327 visitors. This marks a 10% YoY increase, surpassing the previous record of 252,761 set in 2025. • Overall Performance • Total Arrivals: 277,327 (Highest-ever for January) • YoY Growth: 10% • Daily Average: 8,946 visitors (up from 8,154 in 2025) • Peak Day: 15 January (10,483 arrivals) • Top Source Markets • India: 52,061 arrivals (19% share, up 20% YoY) • UK: 29,540 arrivals (11% share, up 36% YoY) • Russia: 27,134 arrivals (Declined 26% YoY) • Germany: 17,776 arrivals • China: 14,003 arrivals • Strategic Outlook • 2026 Target: 3 million arrivals (following record 2.36 million in 2025). • Policy Moves: A free-visa scheme is slated for launch before the end of Q1 2026 to stimulate key markets. • Branding: Plans are underway to roll out a long-delayed nation branding initiative within the year. The strong start reflects robust recovery momentum despite previous disruptions, with European markets largely offsetting a dip in Eastern European arrivals.