Tourism earnings pick up in November

• Low spending remains a persistent issue

The earnings from tourism rose to US $ 251.6 million in November 2025, from the levels in October but the perennial issue of low spending by the visitors of the current day continues to plague the ambitious targets for what the industry could earn from the trade.

For instance, the November earnings come amid 212,906 arrivals but a year ago in November, the industry earned US $ 272.9 million from 184,158 arrivals.

In October 2025, Sri Lanka earned US $ 186.1 million from tourism.  

Few weeks ago, the Central Bank, citing a new spending survey by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, said the per-tourist spend had fallen to US $ 148 per day, from US $ 171 before.

Therefore, in 2025, despite the higher arrivals, Sri Lanka will fall short of matching what the country earned from tourism at its height in 2018.  

During the first 11 months, Sri Lanka welcomed 2,103,593 visitors to the country, up 16.6 from a year ago.  

The earnings meanwhile rose by just 3.7 percent to US $ 2,910.6 million for the first 11 months.

Despite the devastation caused by the floods two weeks ago, the industry remains intact and the arrivals haven’t budged.

For instance, in the first 11 days in December, Sri Lanka has had 70,023 tourists, bringing the total arrivals to 2,173,616, already surpassing the 2,053,465 arrivals had for the full 2024.

The authorities will have to address the spend per day as a matter of priority, as it makes little sense in having many visitors who are reluctant to spend.

The last thing Sri Lanka wants is a large number of back-packers, who stay in home-stays and eat in a corner shop spending sometimes even less than what a Sri Lankan does.

In fact, Sri Lankan middle class spends their holidays and vacations in more style than most of the tourists who now come to Sri Lanka.