Tourist arrivals top half-a-million mark

IN a remarkable feat for Sri Lanka's tourism sector, arrivals surpassed the half-a-million mark in just under two months of 2026, sparking optimism about meeting the ambitious target of 3 million visitors by the end of the year.

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Year-to-date (YTD), the country welcomed a total of 505,751 tourists, reflecting a 10.7% year-on-year (YoY) growth.

During the first 22 days of February 228,424 visitors have arrived in the country, up 12% YoY amidst the ongoing ICC Men's T20 World Cup in Colombo.

The daily average arrival figure up to 22 February has climbed YoY to 10,383 from 9,272.

India remains the biggest source for tourists, accounting for 37,216 visitors or 16% of total between 1 and 22 February. India also leads arrivals YTD at 89,277 followed by the UK with 55,407 travellers and Russia with 45,351 tourists.