Indian tourists secure nearly 50% arrivals in 1H May as market shifts to Asia

By Nishel Fernando

Sri Lanka welcomed 75,465 tourists during the first 17 days of May 2026, with India dominating the arrivals board, as the local tourism sector leans heavily into Asian markets. 

The daily arrival average for the period stood at 4,439 visitors, reflecting a marginal year-on-year (YoY) contraction of approximately 1.0 percent, compared to 76,207 arrivals recorded during the exact same 17-day period in May 2025. 

However, the shifting dynamics of source markets became remarkably apparent, as the Indian holidaymakers alone captured a 42.0 percent market share, effectively meaning nearly half of all visitors to the island during this period, originated from the neighbouring economic powerhouse.

India contributed an overwhelming 32,035 tourists during this 17-day window. When compared to the daily average of Indian arrivals recorded throughout the entirety of May 2025, this reflects an estimated YoY growth of 24.3 percent.

China emerged as the second-largest source market, with 5,410 arrivals and a 7.0 percent market share, recording an estimated 12.1 percent growth against its May 2025 daily average. 

Australia also demonstrated a positive momentum, bringing in 3,726 tourists for a 5.0 percent share, which translates to an estimated 14.6 percent increase over its daily average from the previous May. 

Similarly, the Russian Federation contributed 2,753 visitors, registering a robust estimated growth of 50.9 percent, based on last May’s daily averages, while the United States saw a 36.6 percent estimated increase, with 2,702 arrivals.

Meanwhile, the traditional European and South Asian markets illustrated the impact of recent travel disruptions and shifting preferences. The United Kingdom ranked third overall, with 4,080 arrivals and a 5.0 percent share, marking an estimated 19.3 percent decline compared to its daily average in May 2025. 

France and Germany contributed 2,552 and 2,481 tourists, respectively, highlighting a significant estimated contraction of 14.9 percent for France and 37.4 percent for Germany against their daily averages from the previous May. 

Bangladesh also saw a sharp estimated decline of 50.5 percent, with 1,978 arrivals. Japan rounded out the top 10 source markets for the period, with 1,654 visitors. 

The cumulative arrivals for the year up to May 17, 2026 reached 951,742, with the continued reliance on the Indian traveller acting as the primary buffer against the broader global market volatility.