Sri Lanka tourism earnings fall 10% in first eight months of 2026

Sri Lanka’s estimated tourism earnings fell by about 10% during the first eight months of 2026 compared with the same period last year, according to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL).

Estimated tourism earnings totalled USD 2,061.1 million from January to August 2026, down from USD 2,290.0 million during the corresponding period in 2025.

A total of 1,535,122 tourists visited Sri Lanka between January 1 and August 31, 2026.

However, estimated tourism earnings for August 2026 increased slightly to USD 264.4 million, compared with USD 258.9 million in August 2025. This represents an increase of about 2.1%.

Sri Lanka recorded 191,704 tourist arrivals during August this year.

The figures were published in the CBSL’s Weekly Economic Indicators report dated September 18, 2026. The tourism earnings figures are provisional estimates.

The report also noted that the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) revised its method of estimating monthly tourism earnings in May 2026.

Under the revised method, country-specific data on tourist arrivals, average daily spending and average length of stay are used to improve the accuracy of tourism earnings estimates.