Guide
Busy and quiet months
Which months are busy and which are quiet? A simple calendar from official numbers, and what it means for your business.
Published 19 October 2026 · Numbers from SLTDA, Sri Lanka's tourism authority
December is Sri Lanka's busiest month. In December 2025, 258,928 tourists came. That is more than in any other month that year. Here is who comes, why they come, and how long they stay.
258,928
Tourists in December 2025+36%
Busier than a normal month70%
Came for a holidayIndia
Sent the most touristsDecember was the busiest month in 2018, 2023, 2024 and 2025. In December 2025, 258,928 tourists came. That is 4.2% more than December 2024, and 2.3% more than December 2018, before the Easter attacks. The busy time goes on into the new year: January 2026 was 7.1% busier again.
The low years tell the story. In December 2020, only 393 tourists came, because borders were closed for COVID. December 2021 and 2022 were still less than half of a normal December. In 2023, the numbers came back.
India sent the most: 56,715 tourists, about 22 of every 100. Russia was second (27,987), then the UK, Germany and Australia. Poland and Italy were also in the top ten.
| Country | Dec 2025 | Dec 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | 56,715 | 52,881 | +7.3% |
| Russia | 27,987 | 35,268 | −20.6% |
| United Kingdom | 20,535 | 18,757 | +9.5% |
| Germany | 16,707 | 14,703 | +13.6% |
| Australia | 14,820 | 13,109 | +13.1% |
| China | 10,364 | 9,924 | +4.4% |
| United States | 8,524 | 8,212 | +3.8% |
| France | 7,270 | 6,332 | +14.8% |
| Poland | 6,870 | 6,233 | +10.2% |
| Italy | 6,482 | 5,695 | +13.8% |
The ten countries that sent the most tourists in December 2025, compared with December 2024 (SLTDA)
Russian tourists were 21% fewer in December 2025, and they are down 32% from January to September 2026. If that continues, there will be fewer Russian tourists this December. Germany, France, Italy and Australia each sent 13% to 15% more tourists in December 2025. But German tourists are down in 2026 so far.
Most come for a holiday: 70 of every 100 tourists in December 2025. That is the highest share of any month that year. About 8 of every 100 came for business events, and about 8 of every 100 to visit family and friends.
| Reason | Tourists | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Holiday | 181,945 | 70.3% |
| Other, or no answer | 29,818 | 11.5% |
| Visiting family and friends | 20,233 | 7.8% |
| Business events (meetings, conferences, trade shows) | 20,879 | 8.1% |
| Other business | 3,294 | 1.3% |
| Health and Ayurveda | 1,304 | 0.5% |
| Religious | 410 | 0.2% |
| Sports | 574 | 0.2% |
| Education | 471 | 0.2% |
Why tourists came in December 2025 (SLTDA Year in Review 2025)
It depends on where they come from. In December 2025, Dutch tourists stayed about 12 nights and Germans about 11. Indian tourists stayed about 5.5 nights. That was still their longest month of the year.
December is when the drier season starts on the west and south coasts, and it is the busiest time. Book your stay and train seats early. If you can choose other dates, November 2025 had 18% fewer tourists than December. Our weather guide says which coast is best in which month, and the busiest and quietest months calendar shows the whole year. For long stays, see hostels and coworking spaces.
December tourists mostly come for a holiday. Some stay a short time (Indian tourists, about 5 to 6 nights) and some stay a long time (Europeans, 11 to 12 nights). Offer short breaks and longer plans. For events, December has the most foreign tourists in the country. Add your event to Friday.lk Events.
This is a guess, not a promise. Since July 2026, the number of tourists each month has been within about 3% of last year. So December 2026 may be close to last year's 258,928. Expect more tourists from India and Australia, and fewer from Russia and Germany. Follow the numbers in our tourism guide and on the 2026 tourist numbers page.
Please write: “Source: Friday.lk analysis of SLTDA data, December 2018 to 2025.”
You can use our charts for free if you give credit to Friday.lk and SLTDA. The numbers belong to SLTDA. Download the numbers (they open in Excel): Tourists each month, 2018 to 2026 · Tourists by country, 2026.
All numbers come from SLTDA, Sri Lanka's tourism authority. Here are the reports we used:
The tourist numbers are SLTDA's monthly figures. "Busier than a normal month" compares December with the average month of the same year, averaged over 2018, 2024 and 2025. Length of stay is SLTDA's average for each country in December 2025.
Yes. December was the busiest month in 2018, 2023, 2024 and 2025. In December 2025, 258,928 tourists came. That is 36 extra tourists for every 100 in a normal month.
258,928 in December 2025, 248,592 in December 2024 and 253,169 in December 2018, says SLTDA, Sri Lanka's tourism authority.
In December 2025, most came from India (56,715), then Russia (27,987), the UK, Germany and Australia. Poland and Italy were also in the top ten.
December starts the drier season on the west and south coasts, which is one reason it is so busy. The east coast has its monsoon rain then. Book early. If you want fewer tourists, November 2025 had about 18% fewer tourists than December.
It depends on where they come from. In December 2025, Dutch tourists stayed about 12 nights and Germans about 11. Indian tourists stayed about 5.5 nights, which was their longest month of the year.
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Which months are busy and which are quiet? A simple calendar from official numbers, and what it means for your business.
How many tourists are coming in 2026? Month by month and country by country. We update it when new numbers come out.
158,557 tourists came in September, about the same as last year. India and Australia are growing. Germany is falling. Here is what to do.