Sri Lanka records highest foreign tourist arrivals in 2025

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka recorded its highest number of foreign tourist arrivals in 2025, with tourism earnings reaching new annual records despite disruptions caused by Cyclone Ditwah, the country's foreign minister said at a Monday media briefing.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Vijitha Herath said Sri Lanka received more than 2.36 million foreign tourists during the year, the highest number recorded in a single calendar year.

Tourism revenue totalled $3.2 billion in 2025, confirming the sector's position as the country's second-largest source of foreign exchange, the minister added.

Tourist inflows remained strong despite the impact of Cyclone Ditwah, which struck the island at the end of November. The minister said arrivals continued following the disaster owing to policy support measures and promotional activity.

Sri Lanka has set a minimum target of 3 million foreign tourist arrivals in 2026, representing an increase of about 27% from 2025 levels. Authorities expect tourism growth to contribute to economic recovery efforts as overall growth projections for 2026 were revised downward to 2.9% by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) following the cyclone.

(With input from RSS/Xinhua)