Sri Lanka’s tourism earnings declined by 10% year-on-year to USD 2.06 billion during the first eight months of 2026, compared with USD 2.29 billion recorded during the same period last year, according to the latest data from the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL).
The figures indicate a reduction of approximately USD 228.9 million in tourism revenue compared with the corresponding period of 2025.
Tourist arrivals also declined during the period, although the drop was considerably smaller than the decline in earnings. Sri Lanka recorded 1,535,122 tourist arrivals from January through August 2026, compared with 1,566,523 arrivals during the same period in 2025, representing a decrease of around 2%.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka welcomed a further 74,637 tourists during the first 14 days of September.
According to the latest figures released by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, total tourist arrivals from January 1 to September 14, 2026, reached 1,609,759.