Sri Lanka hits 2mn tourist arrival mark

Sri Lanka's two-millionth tourist Rafael (left) and his wife Clair at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) shortly after their arrival

• Matches pre-covid 2018 pace

By Nishel Feranndo

Sri Lanka’s tourism industry officially surpassed the two million arrival mark for 2025 yesterday, placing its current performance on par with the 2018 all-time record year.
The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority confirmed the achievement, noting that the two-millionth tourist was a French national, Rafael, who arrived in the island nation with his wife Clair for a holiday.
This milestone was reached a full 40 days ahead of last year’s schedule, when the country had to wait until December 26, 2024 to celebrate the same achievement.
This year’s performance almost exactly mirrors the pace of the pre-covid peak in 2018, when the two-millionth arrival was recorded around November 18. This comparison indicates that the industry has successfully transitioned from a phase of mere recovery to one of robust growth, with a genuine opportunity to set a new all-time record for arrivals.
The milestone was reached on the back of a strong start to the winter season, which has already brought 82,270 tourists in the first 12 days of November. This reflects a daily average of 6,856 arrivals, driven by a clear seasonal shift in source markets. The surge in long-haul European travellers is evident, with the Russian Federation solidifying its number two spot, with 10,668 arrivals and Poland entering the top 10, with 2,354 arrivals, propelled by the seasonal charter flights.
This European influx has displaced some regional markets that were dominant in October. China has slipped to the seventh place and Bangladesh has exited the top 10 entirely, following the end of its holiday season. India, however, remains the resilient anchor market, contributing 20,217 arrivals in the 12-day period.
With this momentum, the industry’s first goal, surpassing the 2018 all-time record of 2.33 million arrivals, is now well within reach. To achieve this, Sri Lanka needs to attract approximately 330,000 tourists in the remaining six weeks, a target that appears achievable with the onset of the December peak. 
The focus now shifts to the official ‘Lower Scenario’ target for 2025, set at 2.415 million. Hitting this more ambitious goal would require attracting over 415,000 visitors before the year’s end, demanding a significant and sustained surge in daily arrivals throughout the final holiday push.
It must also be noted that earnings from tourism have not improved as expected, despite the monthly growth in arrivals. 
The latest data released by the Central Bank showed that the earnings for October were recorded at US $ 186.1 million, a marginal change from US $ 185.6 million recorded in the same period last year. This stagnation comes despite the arrivals rising sharply to 165,193 in October, from 135,907 a year ago.
The disconnect between the arrivals and earnings became apparent in September.