Sri Lanka welcomed more than 2.36 million tourists in 2025, the highest annual visitor count in the country's history, according to the Ministry of Tourism. The figure surpassed the previous record set in 2018 by 1.23 percent and marked a 15.1 percent year-on-year increase.
December was the strongest month on record, with 258,928 arrivals, up 2.27 percent on December 2018 and 4.2 percent on December 2024. The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority had initially targeted 3 million arrivals for 2025 before revising the goal down to 2.4 million in August.
Tourism earnings for the year were estimated at just over USD 3.2 billion, a moderate rise from USD 3.17 billion in 2024, as average tourist spending has shrunk over the years. In November 2025, the SLTDA revised estimated per-day spending to USD 148, down from USD 171 based on a 2018 survey.
The ministry attributed the shortfall against targets to delays in launching the nation branding campaign, the yet-to-be-implemented free-visa scheme for 47 countries, global travel advisories and the impact of Cyclone Ditwah in November 2025. The record figures follow a prolonged downturn caused by the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks, the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2022 economic crisis.
For 2026, the government expects at least 3 million tourists, a 27 percent year-on-year increase, with a focus on visitors from the Americas and the Middle East. The SLTDA is targeting around USD 500 million in tourism-sector investment, and the ministry said the free-visa scheme would be launched before March.
For travellers, Sri Lanka's recovery means more visitor infrastructure and services coming online, while the planned free-visa scheme could simplify entry for citizens of the 47 countries covered once it takes effect.
