Sri Lanka’s tourism industry has seen a significant boost with May contributing a record number of tourist arrivals, latest data from the Tourism Development Authority has revealed.
145,745 tourists arrived in the island in May – the highest tourist arrivals the country has ever recorded for the month of May.
It reflected a 9.6% growth compared to May 2025, when tourist arrivals stood at 132,919.
Relative to the Past 5 Years
These numbers underline the extent of the recovery Sri Lanka’s tourism has made since 2021, when the tourism industry suffered in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent economic crisis.
In May 2021, Sri Lanka welcomed just 1,497 tourists – the lowest number of arrivals excluding the months of global lockdowns in 2020 – which effectively means that the most recent figures show a staggering 9,600% increase in comparison.
The May 2026 figures also pushed Sri Lanka’s tourist arrivals to over 1 million for 2026, with the government aiming to break the elusive 3 million tourist mark by the end of the year.
Tourist Inflow
According to the Tourism Development Authority, countries belonging to Sri Lanka's traditional tourism markets have contributed the most to this record growth.
India has contributed to more than a quarter of the year’s tourist arrivals, with 250,260 its nationals visiting Sri Lanka this year.
Other major contributors to Sri Lanka’s 2026 tourist arrivals were Russia, the United Kingdom, Russia and China.
Comments
Moderated before publishing. Your email stays private.