Tourist arrivals top 200,000 in first 27 days of March

• YTD arrivals hit 690,000 mark, registering 14% YoY increase
• Daily arrivals rose from 6,756 to 7,384 compared to same period in 2024
• India, Russia and UK emerge as top source markets in March so far and YTD

Sri Lanka’s tourism sector continues its strong momentum in 2025, with over 200,000 tourists arriving in the first 27 days of March, marking a 13% growth compared to the same period last year.

As of yesterday, over 200,000 tourists visited Sri Lanka, bringing the year-to-date (YTD) total to over 690,000 arrivals. 

The latest data showed that the first 26 days of March saw a footfall of 198,982 tourists, propelling the YTD figure to 684,960 reflecting a 14% year-on-year (YoY) growth.

Weekly arrivals, however, were seeing a declining trend, with the first week of March registering a total of 53,113 visitors, followed by 52,639 tourists in the second week, and 51,459 in the third week. From 22 to 26 March, the footfall of travellers slightly dropped to 34,771.

Industry analysts predict the month will see over 235,000 arrivals, whilst pushing the cumulative number to over 720,000 visitors.

With Sri Lanka’s peak winter tourism season drawing to a close by the end of this month, the industry is also growing impatient over the Government’s failure to launch its long-promised global promotional campaign and free-visa scheme for 39 countries to boost summer bookings.

To meet March’s target of 302,803 visitors, the country needs an additional 103,821 arrivals within the next five days, requiring an average daily influx of 20,764 tourists. 

In March 2024, Sri Lanka welcomed a total of 209,181 visitors against 125,495 registered for the entirety of March 2023.

The data also show that the daily average of arrivals has steadily increased, rising from 6,756 during the first 26 days of March 2024 to 7,384 during the same period in 2025. However, on a month-on-month comparison, the daily average of arrivals declined by 18%. 

India remains Sri Lanka’s largest source market in 2025, with an YTD total of 111,982 visitors, followed by Russia with 90,225 visitors, and the United Kingdom with 64,711 travellers. 

In the first 26 days of March, India contributed 32,879 visitors, Russia 25,864, and the UK 17,453 arrivals.

With Sri Lanka’s tourism industry rebounding strongly, industry experts remain optimistic about achieving the bold target of 3 million visitors and over $ 5 billion in earnings for 2025.

Continued strategic marketing, improved infrastructure, increased airline connectivity, and safety within the destination are expected to further boost arrivals and drive sustainable growth in the sector.

In 2024, the country welcomed 2.05 million visitors, generating over $ 3.2 billion in revenue – a 52.38% YoY increase.