January 20, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka has welcomed close to 160,000 overseas visitors in the first 18 days of 2026, signalling a robust start to the year for the tourism sector, according to figures released by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA).
Data from the authority indicate that 58,822 travellers arrived between January 01 and 07, followed by a further 62,592 visitors during the second week of the month. An additional 37,373 tourists entered the country between January 15 and 18, bringing the total to 158,787 arrivals within less than three weeks.
India emerged as the largest source market, accounting for 28,686 visitors. Russia followed with 16,956 arrivals, while the United Kingdom contributed 15,189 tourists. Germany and France completed the top five, with 10,837 and 7,508 visitors respectively.
The SLTDA also noted steady inflows from several other markets, including Australia, China, Poland, the United States and the Netherlands, reflecting a broad-based recovery and growing international interest in Sri Lanka as a travel destination early in the year.
View Full Report: https://www.sltda.gov.lk/storage/common_media/Weekly_Report_1st_to_18th_January_2026.pdf
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