Sri Lanka recorded the highest number of tourist arrivals in history during the first two months of 2026, although tourism earnings declined during the same period, according to official data.

Figures show that 277,327 tourists arrived in January 2026 while 279,328 visitors arrived in February, making them the two months with the highest tourist arrivals on record for the country.

Compared to the same period last year, arrivals have increased notably. The 252,761 tourists who visited in January 2025 rose by 9.7% to 277,327 in January 2026, while February arrivals increased by 16.2%, from 240,217 in 2025 to 279,328 in 2026.

Overall, tourist arrivals for January-February 2026 reached 556,655, marking a 12.9% increase from the 492,978 visitors recorded during the same period in 2025.

However, despite the strong growth in visitor numbers, tourism earnings have declined during the same period.

Tourism revenue, which stood at USD 400.7 million in January 2025, declined by 5.6% to USD 378.3 million in January 2026. Similarly, earnings in February fell by 4.2%, from USD 367.6 million in February 2025 to USD 352 million in February 2026.

As a result, total tourism earnings for January-February dropped by 4.9%, decreasing from USD 768.2 million in 2025 to USD 730.3 million in 2026, despite the increase in visitor arrivals.

The post More Tourists, Less Revenue: Sri Lanka’s Tourism Earnings Fall Despite Record Arrivals appeared first on Financial Chronicle Biz English | Sri Lanka Business News.