Tourist arrivals drop nearly 20% in March, SLTDA reports

The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) has reported a significant decline in foreign tourist arrivals for March 2026.

According to the latest data, a total of 183,979 tourists visited the country during the month, marking a 19.7 percent decrease compared to March 2025.

India recorded the highest number of arrivals, with 47,533 visitors accounting for 26 percent of the total.

This was followed by the United Kingdom with 18,092 arrivals, Russia with 15,685, China with 14,064, Germany with 13,429, and France with 8,359 tourists.

The SLTDA further stated that the cumulative number of tourist arrivals from January 1 to March 31, 2026, stands at 740,634.