Sri Lanka’s tourism industry recorded a notable decline in both earnings and visitor arrivals in April 2026, according to the latest data released by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) and the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA).
Tourism earnings for April 2026 stood at USD 157.1 million, marking a sharp 38.8% decrease compared to the USD 256.7 million earned during the same month in 2025.
Tourist arrivals also declined significantly during the month. A total of 135,643 visitors arrived in Sri Lanka in April 2026, compared to 174,608 arrivals recorded in April 2025, reflecting a 22.3% drop year-on-year.
The downward trend was also evident in the cumulative figures for the first four months of the year. Between January and April 2026, Sri Lanka welcomed 876,277 tourists, representing a 2.3% decline from the 896,884 arrivals recorded during the corresponding period in 2025.
Meanwhile, cumulative tourism earnings for the January–April period reached USD 1,111 million, down 19.4% from the USD 1,379 million generated in the same period last year.
