Sri Lanka’s tourism industry has achieved an impressive milestone at the start of 2026, welcoming over 500,000 international visitors within the first seven weeks of the year.

According to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), a total of 505,751 tourists arrived in the country between January 1 and February 22.

February has shown particularly strong momentum, with 228,424 visitors recorded in just the first 22 days. The country maintained steady weekly growth, surpassing 70,000 arrivals for three consecutive weeks:

Week 1: 70,355 visitors
Week 2: 77,870 visitors
Week 3: 71,101 visitors

India continues to lead as Sri Lanka’s top source market, contributing 89,277 visitors. Other major markets demonstrating strong performance include:

United Kingdom – 55,407 arrivals
Russia – 45,351 arrivals
Germany – 35,413 arrivals
China – 31,621 arrivals

Additionally, significant tourist numbers were recorded from France, Australia, and the Netherlands, reflecting Sri Lanka’s growing global appeal in 2026.