Sri Lanka Monthly Tourist Statistics – 2025
Between January and 17th December 2025, Sri Lanka recorded 0 tourist arrivals. Visitor numbers were highest in January with over 252,000 travelers, followed by steady flows in February and March. The monthly breakdown below provides insight into travel patterns, helping stakeholders track tourism growth and seasonal demand throughout the year.
| Month | Tourists |
|---|---|
| January | 252761 |
| February | 240217 |
| March | 229298 |
| April | 174608 |
| May | 132919 |
| June | 138241 |
| July | 200244 |
| August | 198235 |
| September | 158971 |
| October | 165193 |
| November | 212906 |
| December (01–17) | 115616 |
| Total | 2,219,209 |
Sri Lanka International Visitor Statistics (01–17 Dec 2025)
Between 01st and 17th December 2025, Sri Lanka welcomed 115,616 international visitors. India led the market share, followed by the Russian Federation E United Kingdom. Strong volumes also came from Germany, Australia, E China, with steady arrivals from the United States, Poland, France, E Israel. All remaining countries are grouped under Other.
| Rank | Country | Number of Tourists | Share % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | India | 26,301 | 23.0% |
| 2 | Russian Federation | 12,506 | 11.0% |
| 3 | United Kingdom | 9,197 | 8.0% |
| 4 | Germany | 8,096 | 7.0% |
| 5 | Australia | 6,345 | 6.0% |
| 6 | China | 5,882 | 5.0% |
| 7 | United States | 3,405 | 3.0% |
| 8 | Poland | 3,067 | 3.0% |
| 9 | France | 3,031 | 3.0% |
| 10 | Israel | 2,525 | 2.0% |
| — | Other | 35,261 | 30.0% |
| Total Arrivals | 115,616 | 100.0% | |
Leading Tourist Origin Countries (01 Jan – 17 Dec 2025)
Between 01st January and 17th December 2025, Sri Lanka welcomed visitors from a wide range of countries. India remained the top market, followed by the United Kingdom and the Russian Federation. Strong flows also came from Germany, China, E France, with steady contributions from Australia, the Netherlands, the United States, Bangladesh, Poland, Italy, Spain, E Canada.
| Rank | Country | Number of Tourists |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | India | 501,097 |
| 2 | United Kingdom | 200,939 |
| 3 | Russian Federation | 171,099 |
| 4 | Germany | 139,355 |
| 5 | China | 127,553 |
| 6 | France | 104,802 |
| 7 | Australia | 101,012 |
| 8 | Netherlands | 61,589 |
| 9 | United States | 60,854 |
| 10 | Bangladesh | 57,356 |
| 11 | Poland | 46,186 |
| 12 | Italy | 45,632 |
| 13 | Spain | 44,229 |
| 14 | Canada | 44,175 |
Monthly Visits from India to Sri Lanka – Jan to Nov 2025
Between January and November 2025, Sri Lanka received a total of 479,185 visitors from India, maintaining India’s position as the leading inbound market. Monthly arrivals were 45,545 in January, 42,351 in February and 43,218 in March. April recorded 43,986 arrivals, followed by a peak of 47,410 in May. June saw 42,272 visitors, July counted 37,128, and August closed with 46,473. Solid performance continued through the final quarter, with 40,910 in September, 29,548 in October and a strong 60,344 arrivals in November.
Monthly Visits from Russia to Sri Lanka – Jan to Nov 2025
Between January and November 2025, Russia contributed an estimated 161,475 arrivals to Sri Lanka. The year began strongly with 21,354 visitors in January, followed by 20,865 in February and 20,477 in March. April recorded 18,345 arrivals, while May and June saw 15,932 E 15,339 respectively. A notable dip occurred in July with 3,158 arrivals, before a slight recovery to 3,446 in August. Visitor volumes stabilized in the final quarter, with 14,214 arrivals in September, 13,052 in October and a solid 15,293 arrivals in November.
Monthly Visits from the United Kingdom to Sri Lanka – Jan to Nov 2025
Between January and November 2025, arrivals from the United Kingdom to Sri Lanka are estimated at around 193,301, reflecting strong winter and summer travel peaks. January welcomed 21,730 visitors, climbing to 25,528 in February, while March added a further 22,447 arrivals. April recorded 17,348, followed by lower volumes in May (9,221) and June (7,488). Demand rebounded sharply in July with 27,715 visitors, and August remained strong at 22,695. In the final part of the period, arrivals are estimated at around 13,800 in September, 11,900 in October and a solid 13,429 visitors in November, underscoring the UK’s role as one of Sri Lanka’s key long-haul source markets.
Monthly Visits from China to Sri Lanka – Jan to Nov 2025
Tourist arrivals from China to Sri Lanka continued to build momentum throughout 2025, contributing to a total of 122,998 visitors between January and November. The year began with 16,709 arrivals in January, followed by 11,690 in February and 11,114 in March. April added 8,667 arrivals, with May and June maintaining steady flows at 8,803 E 8,804 respectively. July saw a surge to 13,982, and August continued strong at 13,097. The final quarter sustained notable interest from the Chinese market, reinforcing China’s position as one of Sri Lanka’s leading Asian tourism source countries in 2025.
Monthly Visits from Germany to Sri Lanka – Jan to Aug 2025
In the first eight months of 2025, Germany contributed around 100,070 arrivals to Sri Lanka. January started with 15,050 tourists, rising slightly to 15,548 in February and peaking in March with 17,918. Numbers eased in April (11,654) and May (7,223), while June added 5,498 visitors. July saw a strong summer rebound with 12,253, and August closed with 15,926. These figures highlight Germany’s role as a major European source market for Sri Lanka in 2025.
Monthly Visits from Australia to Sri Lanka – Jan to Aug 2025
In the first eight months of 2025, Australia contributed a steady flow of 70,081 visitors to Sri Lanka. January recorded 9,563 arrivals, followed by 8,778 in February and 9,012 in March. April marked the highest monthly figure at 10,744, coinciding with Easter travel. Numbers dipped in May (5,929), then recovered in June (7,299). July brought 9,117 tourists, and August added 9,639, reaffirming Australia’s role as one of Sri Lanka’s leading source markets.
Monthly Visits from France to Sri Lanka – Jan to Aug 2025
From January to August 2025, France contributed about 84,331 tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka. The year started with 12,619 visitors in January, rising to 15,469 in February and holding steady in March with 15,278. Arrivals dropped in April (8,276) and May (5,470), followed by 4,345 in June. Travel picked up again in July with 11,059 arrivals and remained strong in August at 11,815. These figures underline France’s position as a significant European source market for Sri Lanka in 2025.
Monthly Visits from United States to Sri Lanka – Jan to Aug 2025
Between January and August 2025, the United States contributed around 45,947 visitors to Sri Lanka. Arrivals started with 7,067 in January and 6,439 in February, peaking in March with 7,676. The spring months saw a slowdown, with 4,202 in April and 3,607 in May. Recovery began in June (5,422) and July (5,222), followed by a stronger August with 6,312 arrivals. These trends highlight the US as a steadily growing long-haul source market for Sri Lanka in 2025.
Daily Average Tourist Arrivals by Month – Jan to Aug 2025
Between January and August 2025, Sri Lanka recorded dynamic daily averages of international arrivals. February topped the list with 8,579 visitors per day, closely followed by 8,154 in January. March maintained a solid performance at 7,397, before April (5,820) and May (4,288) showed seasonal declines. A modest rise occurred in June with 4,608 daily arrivals, while July surged to 6,459. August sustained momentum with 6,395 per day, reflecting seasonal travel patterns and Sri Lanka’s ongoing visitor appeal.
Regional Source Market Breakdown – Jan to Aug 2025
Between January and August 2025, tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka were dominated by South Asia, led primarily by India and supported by Bangladesh, Maldives, E Pakistan. Europe provided the next largest share, driven by arrivals from the UK, Germany, France, Russia, Italy, E the Netherlands. The Asia-Pacific region – including China, Japan, Australia, E Korea – showed steady growth, while North America (US and Canada) continued to strengthen as a long-haul market. This regional breakdown underscores Sri Lanka’s diversified visitor base and highlights both nearby and long-haul demand.
Tourist Arrivals by Purpose of Visit – Jan to Aug 2025
During the first eight months of 2025, more than half of Sri Lanka’s international visitors arrived for leisure and vacation (57.1%), reaffirming the country’s popularity as a holiday destination. Other notable categories included visiting friends and relatives (8.4%), MICE tourism (6.1%), E business travel (2.0%). Niche but growing segments such as health & wellness, religious pilgrimages, sports tourism, E educational visits further diversified arrivals. Around 25% of visitors fell into the “Other / Not Specified” category, reflecting Sri Lanka’s broad tourism appeal across multiple segments.
| Tourism Segment | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Leisure & Vacation | 57.1% |
| Visiting Friends/Relatives | 8.4% |
| MICE Tourism | 6.1% |
| Business Travel | 2.0% |
| Health / Ayurvedic | 0.6% |
| Religious Pilgrimages | 0.5% |
| Sports Tourism | 0.5% |
| Educational Visits | 0.05% |
| Official Travel | 0.001% |
| Other / Not Specified | 25% |
SUMMARY REPORT
Tourist Arrivals from 01st January to 31st August 2025
This report highlights the monthly tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka for the years 2018, 2024, and 2025 (Jan–Aug). According to the latest SLTDA data, 2025 continues to show strong recovery and positive growth in the tourism sector. August closed with 198,235 arrivals, sustaining mid-year momentum compared to previous years. January remains the peak month, while seasonal patterns reveal solid performance during both winter and summer holiday periods.
| Month | 2018 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 238,924 | 208,253 | 252,761 |
| February | 235,618 | 218,350 | 240,217 |
| March | 233,382 | 209,181 | 229,298 |
| April | 180,429 | 148,867 | 174,608 |
| May | 129,466 | 112,128 | 132,919 |
| June | 146,828 | 113,470 | 138,241 |
| July | 217,829 | 143,039 | 200,244 |
| August | 226,094 | 136,405 | 198,235 |
| Total | 1,608,570 | 1,389,693 | 1,566,523* |
* The total for 2025 includes tourist arrivals from 01st January to 31st August.
📈 Growth
2025 arrivals are +13% higher than 2024 (Jan–Aug).
🌍 Recovery
2025 performance is at 97% of 2018 levels, near full recovery.
🔮 Outlook
Sri Lanka is on track to surpass 2 million arrivals in 2025.