June tourist arrivals down by nearly 7% as Indian market cools

• Tourist arrivals drop 6.87% in the first three weeks of June to 82,332 visitors
• Slump in volume drags cumulative tourism earnings for the first five months down to US$ 1.36bn

Sri Lanka’s tourism sector lost momentum during the first three weeks of June, driven primarily by a sharp drop in arrivals from India. 

Fresh data from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) shows that 82,332 tourists visited the country between June 1 and 21. This marks a 6.87 percent year-on-year drop compared to the 88,410 arrivals recorded during the same period in 2025.

Industry analysts point to high airfares in particular to regional fares. While somewhat stabilised flight routes pushed May’s numbers up, climbing ticket prices across South Asia have kept budget-conscious travellers at bay. In addition, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appealed to citizens to postpone foreign vacations and avoid hosting destination weddings abroad for at least one year. 

Although higher regional travel, India remained the top contributor with 31,158 tourists, making up 38 percent of total traffic. However, the daily influx from India cooled significantly, dropping nearly 26 percent to 1,484 visitors a day compared to May’s average of 2,002.

Long-haul markets showed a mixed bag heading into the summer shoulder season. The UK held onto second place with 6,658 arrivals, nudging its daily average up slightly to 317 visitors. China came in third with 5,178 tourists, though its daily average softened. 

Australia followed closely in fourth, showing seasonal resilience as daily arrivals improved to 236 visitors. 

On the flip side, numbers from Germany collapsed. The market brought in just 2,269 visitors, placing it seventh overall as its daily intake more than halved to 108 tourists compared to the previous month.

Total arrivals up to June 21 stood at 1,104,354, down 1.24 percent from the same period last year. This slowdown mirrors the recent financial data released by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, which showed tourism earnings for May dipping to US$ 155.7 million, or about Rs. 50.6 billion. 

Overall, the drop in volume has pulled cumulative tourism earnings for the first five months down to US$ 1.36 billion, marking an 11.9 percent shortfall compared to the US$ 1.54 billion earned during the same period in 2025.