January tourism earnings at US$ 378mn

• ​Receipts dip to US$ 378mn despite 9.7% surge in arrivals
• ​Survey reveals US$ 1.1bn annual leakage

While January 2026 recorded historic visitor numbers, earnings from the trade witnessed a contraction, highlighting persistent concerns regarding lower spending and confirmed revenue leakage.

​According to the latest available data, Sri Lanka earned US$ 378.3 million from the tourism trade in January, a decline from the US$ 400.7 million recorded during the same month in 2025. This dip in earnings comes despite the country welcoming 277,327 visitors, the highest-ever figure for a January, marking a 9.7 percent increase from the 252,761 arrivals a year ago.

​The data reinforces a troubling trend within the industry as diminishing financial returns continues despite growing volume. This disconnect has been partly attributed to a recalibration of data; the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) revised the average daily spend per tourist mid-last year to US$ 148, down significantly from the previous estimate of US$ 171.

​Compounding the issue of lower spending is the significant outflow of generated revenue. The results of the SLTDA’s ‘Rapid Assessment of Economic Leakages’ survey, released recently, estimate that the industry loses approximately US$ 1.13 billion annually. The survey highlighted that procurement-related imports alone account for over US$ 800 million of this figure, with sectors such as wellness and Ayurveda recording leakage rates exceeding 50 percent.

​This divergence between arrivals and actual retained earnings was evident throughout the last year. In 2025, Sri Lanka recorded its highest annual arrivals at 2,362,521, up 15.1 percent from 2024 and surpassing the previous 2018 record, yet saw total earnings stagnate, slipping by 1.6 percent to US$ 3,219.2 million.