Sri Lanka recorded a decline in average tourist spending in 2025 despite a notable increase in visitor arrivals, according to official data. Figures released by the Central Bank show that tourist arrivals rose to 2,362,521 in 2025 from 2,053,465 in 2024, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 15.1 percent.
However, total tourism earnings increased only marginally to US$ 3,219.2 million in 2025, compared to US$ 3,168.6 million the previous year, representing a growth of just 1.6 percent. As a result, average spending per tourist fell to around US$ 1,363 in 2025, down from approximately US$ 1,544 in 2024.
This marks a reduction of nearly US$ 181 per visitor, or a year-on-year decline of about 11.7 percent. The figures indicate that while Sri Lanka succeeded in attracting a larger number of tourists in 2025, overall visitor spending did not keep pace with the rise in arrivals.
Analysts suggest that the drop in per-capita spending may be due to shorter stays, shifts in tourist demographics, or increased arrivals from more price-sensitive markets, highlighting the need to focus on higher-value tourism alongside growth in visitor numbers.
