Sri Lanka's tourism earnings declined by 9.2% during the first nine months of 2026, reaching USD 2.25 billion compared to USD 2.47 billion during the same period in 2025, according to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. The country welcomed 1,693,679 international visitors, representing a 1.8% decline in arrivals. The sharper reduction in earnings highlights a gap between visitor numbers and tourism revenue. In September, tourism earnings increased by 1.5% to USD 186 million, despite tourist arrivals declining slightly to 158,557. Meanwhile, Sri Lankans' expenditure on foreign travel increased by 62.4% to USD 937.2 million during January–September 2026. Higher travel and air transport payments contributed to a 22.3% reduction in the country's services account surplus. The Central Bank also noted that tourism earnings are calculated using a revised methodology introduced in May 2026, considering visitor origin, average daily spending and length of stay. These figures highlight the importance of increasing tourism revenue alongside visitor arrivals.