Tourist arrivals in October hit record high

However, annual conservative target remains distant

• SL welcomes 165,193 visitors in October
• Surpasses previous benchmark of 153,123 set in 2018
• Despite record-breaking numbers, industry’s performance relative to its 2025 targets was mixed
• Annual ‘Conservative Scenario’ target of 2.677mn seems out of reach, as it would require 785,909 visitors in last two months

 By Nishel Fernando

Sri Lanka’s tourism industry posted a record-breaking performance in October 2025, welcoming 165,193 visitors. 

This figure marks the highest arrivals ever recorded for the month of October, surpassing the previous benchmark of 153,123 set in 2018. 

The robust performance represents a 21.5 percent increase, compared to 135,907 arrivals seen in October 2024 and a significant 7.8 percent rise over the pre-pandemic levels of October 2018.

Despite the record-breaking numbers, the industry’s performance, relative to its 2025 targets, was mixed. The October arrivals successfully surpassed the ‘Lower Scenario’ target of 162,562 set for the month. However, the figure fell short of the more ambitious ‘Conservative Scenario’ target, which was set at 176,381 arrivals.

With two months remaining in the year, attention now turns to the annual targets. As of end-October, the cumulative arrivals for 2025 stood at 1,890,687. To achieve the full-year Lower Scenario target of 2,415,000, the country needs to attract 524,313 tourists in November and December. This appears achievable, as the conservative projections for the final two months alone total 539,368 arrivals.

However, the annual Conservative Scenario target of 2.677 million seems out of reach, as it would require 785,909 visitors in the last two months, far exceeding even the optimistic forecasts for that period.

The growth in October was overwhelmingly led by India, which accounted for 29.1 percent of all arrivals, with 48,113 tourists, a significant 32.1 percent jump from 36,417 arrived in October 2024. 

The United Kingdom followed with 12,934 tourists (a 26.7 percent increase) and the Russian Federation with 11,496 (a 10.9 percent increase). A strong growth also came from emerging markets, with Bangladesh showing a 47.9 percent year-on-year increase to 5,521 visitors. China also posted a solid 30.8 percent growth, sending 10,864 tourists.

On a year-to-date basis, from January to October 2025, India remains the dominant source market, with 423,405 arrivals, a 31.1 percent increase over 322,973 arrivals during the same period in 2024. 

The UK holds the second spot, with 174,827 arrivals, up 19.2 percent. Interestingly, the Russian Federation, while strong in October, is tracking a 2.9 percent decline year-to-date, with 133,640 arrivals, compared to 137,599 during the first 10 months of 2024. Germany, with 116,741 visitors and China, with 112,454 visitors, round out the top five for the year so far, showing a modest growth of 7.3 percent and 6.5 percent, respectively.