Sri Lanka has welcomed 88,221 tourists so far in April, with India accounting for the largest share of visitors, the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) said.
Indian travellers contributed 25,634 arrivals, or 29% of the April total, according to SLTDA data released on Tuesday. The United Kingdom followed with 7,672 visitors, Australia with 7,351, China with 6,333, and Russia with 4,682.
The monthly tally remains well below the 174,608 arrivals recorded in April 2025, reflecting the impact of the ongoing US-Israel war on Iran on global travel sentiment and regional air connectivity. April’s first 15 days had drawn 68,961 visitors, down 27% year on year, with the SLTDA outlining month-end scenarios ranging from 195,084 to 236,597 depending on recovery momentum.
Cumulative arrivals for 2026 climbed to 828,845 with the release of the latest figures through February. India led the year-to-date count with 172,907 arrivals, followed by the United Kingdom with 86,092 and Russia with 70,600.
The government continues to target three million tourist arrivals in 2026, a benchmark that looked achievable through Q1 but now depends on an April–June recovery. March arrivals had fallen 19.7% year on year to 183,979, with revenue plunging 37% amid the Middle East conflict.
Industry groups have urged renewed market diversification and accelerated promotion campaigns to offset soft demand from traditional Western source markets while leveraging continued strength from South Asia.
