Sri Lanka rolls out programme to meet 2026 tourism target

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) has rolled out a special programme to help the country meet its national tourism targets for 2026, a senior official said on Friday.

SLTDA Chairman Buddhika Hewawasam said the authority will launch focused promotional campaigns in key European markets to attract visitors during what are traditionally considered off‑peak months.

As part of the broader strategy, Sri Lanka recently carried out promotion programmes in major Indian cities to diversify the country's Indian tourist base and draw more high‑value visitors, he said.

He added that Sri Lanka has recorded a strong start to 2026, with more than 94,000 tourist arrivals reported in the first week of January 2026.

Tourism is a key foreign revenue generator for the country, and Sri Lanka expects 3 million tourists in 2026.

(With inputs from Xinhua/RSS)