Sri Lanka welcomed over 1.16 million foreign tourists during the first six months of 2025, marking a significant uptick in post-pandemic recovery, according to the latest report issued by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.
A total of 1,168,044 international visitors arrived in the country between January and June this year — a 15.6% increase compared to the corresponding period in 2024, which saw 1,048,249 arrivals.
Tourism earnings for the first half of 2025 have also shown growth, with Rs. 509.1 billion generated during the period. This represents a 5.9% increase from the Rs. 480.9 billion earned in the first six months of last year.
By Lalith Chaminda