Sri Lanka recorded 113,307 tourist arrivals during the first 16 days of August 2026, according to the latest figures released by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), highlighting continued strength in the country’s tourism sector.
India remained the largest source market during the period, with 25,355 Indian nationals visiting Sri Lanka. This accounted for approximately 22% of all tourist arrivals recorded between August 1 and 16. The United Kingdom ranked as the second-largest source market, contributing 12,738 tourists, while France recorded 8,106 arrivals during the same period.
The latest figures also push Sri Lanka’s cumulative tourist arrivals for 2026 to 1,456,725 between January 1 and August 16.
India has maintained its position as Sri Lanka’s leading tourism market throughout the year, with 363,585 Indian tourists visiting the country so far in 2026. The United Kingdom followed with 143,139 arrivals.
The continued inflow of tourists from major international markets comes as Sri Lanka seeks to build on the recovery of its tourism industry and further strengthen its position as a leading destination in the region. The strong contribution from India, the UK and France also underscores the importance of these markets to Sri Lanka’s tourism performance, with arrivals from the three countries accounting for a significant share of the country’s total visitor numbers.
With more than 1.45 million tourist arrivals recorded by August 16, Sri Lanka’s tourism sector is maintaining its positive momentum as the country moves into the latter part of 2026.
