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Tourism infrastructure damage was estimated at about Rs. 500 billion, based on data collected from member companies by industry bodies.

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Despite this, Balendra said the sector had recovered quickly, with arrivals showing resilience.He said tourist arrivals in the first 25 days of January were about 10% higher than the same period last year, which itself had been a record year. While arrivals immediately after the cyclone were estimated to be 5-10% lower, he said overall momentum remained strong.

Balendra said consumption indicators also suggested limited economic fallout, with supermarket volumes returning to earlier levels. “Consumption is quite robust, which indicates there cannot be too much of an impact on the economy,” he said.

Looking ahead, The Ceylon Chamber Chief identified tourism, construction, ICT, and consumption as the main growth drivers for 2026. He said construction activity was expected to pick up with post-cyclone reconstruction spending, the resumption of major infrastructure projects, and renewed apartment development, including projects in Port City and suburban areas.

He said ICT and business process services had grown into a material export sector, with estimated earnings of about $ 1.65 billion in 2025, and that growth momentum was expected to continue.

On tourism, Balendra said India would remain Sri Lanka’s largest and most important source market, with significant long-term growth potential. However, he stressed that higher tourist spending would require refurbishment of existing hotel stock and the entry of more international hotel brands.

He also noted improving city hotel occupancy, which rose to 69% in November 2025 and about 62% in December 2025, with January occupancy expected to exceed 70%, creating scope for upward price adjustments.

A World Bank rapid assessment of the economic impact estimates the damage at $ 4.1 billion, or 4% of GDP.

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