Sri Lanka earned US$ 2,245.2 million in tourism revenue from January to September 2026, according to data released by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. Tourist arrivals during this period totaled 1,693,679, representing a 1.8% decrease compared to the same period in 2025, when the country recorded US$ 2,472.9 million in tourism earnings and 1,723,974 tourist arrivals.
September and August 2026 Revenue and Arrival Trends
Tourism revenue in September 2026 reached US$ 185.6 million, a 1.5% increase from US$ 182.9 million in September 2025. This gain followed a 2.1% year-on-year increase in August 2026, when revenue hit US$ 264.4 million. Despite the rising revenue, the number of tourists
arriving in Sri Lanka in September 2026 fell by 0.3% compared to September 2025.
Challenges Affecting Tourism Performance
The Sri Lankan tourism sector faced challenges in 2026, including geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, which impacted travel patterns. Additionally, revisions to tourism expenditure estimates complicated year-on-year comparisons of revenue data.
Government Revises 2026 Tourism Targets
In August 2026, the Government of Sri Lanka raised its tourism targets for the year. The annual tourist arrivals target was increased from 2.5 million to 2.7 million, while the revenue target was raised from US$ 3.5 billion to US$ 4.2 billion.
Revenue Requirements for Final Quarter 2026
With US$ 2.24 billion earned during the first nine months of 2026,
Sri Lanka must generate approximately US$ 1.96 billion from October to December to meet the revised annual revenue target of US$ 4.2 billion. This implies an average monthly tourism income of around US$ 653 million in the final quarter of 2026. In comparison, Sri Lanka posted US$ 3.22 billion in total tourism revenue in 2025, with 2.36 million tourist arrivals.
