Sri Lanka recorded its highest-ever tourist arrivals for October this year, welcoming 165,193 visitors, marking a 22% year-on-year (YoY) surge and signalling renewed momentum in the country’s post-crisis tourism recovery. The record-breaking month, largely fuelled by a surge in visitors from India, points to a strong winter season ahead and fresh optimism that 2025 could close with all-time high arrival figures.
According to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), October arrivals surpassed the previous record of 153,123 in 2018, with an average of 5,329 visitors per day—a modest 0.5% month-on-month increase.
India remained the dominant source market, contributing 48,113 visitors (29.1%), followed by the United Kingdom (12,934 or 7.8%), Russia (11,496 or 7%), China (10,864 or 6.6%), and Germany (9,753 or 5.9%). Additional arrivals came from Australia, Bangladesh, France, the United States, and Spain, reflecting Sri Lanka’s broad appeal across key markets.
The robust October performance pushed cumulative arrivals for the first ten months of 2025 to 1.89 million, up 17% YoY, slightly surpassing the 1.88 million tourists recorded during the same period in the benchmark year 2018. India continues to lead as the largest overall source market with 423,405 arrivals (22%), followed by the UK (174,827), Russia (133,640), Germany (116,741), and China (112,454).
Industry stakeholders attribute the upswing to the resumption of international and charter flights, enhanced air connectivity for the winter season, and the country’s growing visibility through international travel rankings. Moreover, the launch of Sri Lanka’s first self-funded, private-sector-led destination marketing campaign has injected new energy into the sector amid frustration over delays in official promotional initiatives.
With strong forward bookings for the upcoming months, industry analysts predict total arrivals could surpass 2.4 million by year-end. However, October’s figures still fell short of the SLTDA’s forecast of 197,693 visitors by around 20% (32,500 tourists).
The SLTDA’s revised 2025 projections now outline three possible outcomes: a “Lower Scenario” of 2.415 million arrivals, a “Conservative Scenario” of 2.676 million, and an “Optimistic Scenario” of 3 million. SLTDA Chairman Buddhika Hewawasam recently confirmed that the authority had adjusted its target to 2.6 million, calling it “a realistic but historic high” compared to the previous record of 2.33 million arrivals in 2018.
To achieve the new target, Sri Lanka must attract 709,313 tourists during the final two months of 2025.
Meanwhile, tourism earnings reached US$ 2.47 billion during the first nine months of 2025, a 5.3% YoY increase, according to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. While the government’s ambitious US$ 5 billion revenue goal is unlikely to be met, analysts remain confident that 2025 earnings will surpass last year’s US$ 3.17 billion—the highest since 2018 and the fifth-best year on record for the tourism sector.
