How Much Does Tourism Earn Sri Lanka? What the Central Bank Numbers Say, and Do Not Say
Tourists spent an estimated US$3.2 billion in 2025. The 2026 numbers look lower. But the way SLTDA works them out has changed, so be careful.
Friday.lk Data Desk
6 min read · 22 Oct 2026
- In 2025, tourists spent an estimated US$3,219 million. SLTDA, Sri Lanka's tourism authority, works out this estimate. The Central Bank of Sri Lanka publishes it.
- Almost the same number of tourists came in 2025 as in 2018. But the money estimate is about 27 dollars lower for every 100 than in 2018.
- SLTDA lowered how much it thinks each tourist spends in August 2025. It changed its method again in May 2026. So do not say that earnings fell in 2026. We cannot tell how much of the fall is real.
What are tourism earnings?
It means the foreign money that tourists spend in Sri Lanka. Nobody counts it at the till. SLTDA works it out. It uses the number of tourists, how long they stay, and how much they say they spend each day. The Central Bank then publishes the estimate each month.
So these numbers are good for the big picture. They are not exact. Also, the monthly estimate is built from the number of tourists. A busy month always looks like a high-earning month. It does not show that each tourist spent more. To choose dates, use our busiest and quietest months calendar.
How much did tourists spend each year?
In 2018 the estimate was US$4,381 million. In 2025 it was US$3,219 million. In those years almost the same number of tourists came: 2,333,796 in 2018 and 2,362,521 in 2025. So the estimate is about 27 dollars lower for every 100, with about the same number of tourists.
Why? The Central Bank says the gap is largely because SLTDA now estimates that tourists stay fewer nights and spend less each day than it thought before.
| Year | Tourists | Money estimate (US$ million) | Per tourist (US$) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 2,333,796 | 4,381 | 1,877 |
| 2023 | 1,487,303 | 2,068 | 1,390 |
| 2024 | 2,053,465 | 3,169 | 1,543 |
| 2025 | 2,362,521 | 3,219 | 1,363 |
Estimated money tourists spent, by year. 'Per tourist' is our own sum: the money estimate divided by the number of tourists. It is not what tourists said they spend.
Why 2026 is hard to compare
For January to August 2026 the estimate is US$2,061 million. For the same months of 2025 it was US$2,290 million. That looks like a fall of 10 dollars for every 100. Tourist numbers fell too, but by less: 2 fewer for every 100 tourists.
| Month | Change in tourists | Change in money estimate |
|---|---|---|
| January | +9.7% | +3.3% |
| February | +16.3% | +3.8% |
| March | -19.8% | -30.8% |
| April | -22.3% | -36.0% |
| May | +9.6% | -5.1% |
| June | -9.9% | -10.9% |
| July | -1.7% | -10.4% |
| August | -3.3% | +2.1% |
2026 compared with the same month of 2025: tourists and the money estimate
How to read the table: +10% means 10 extra for every 100 in the same month last year.
Two changes inside the numbers
First, in August 2025. SLTDA lowered how much it thinks a tourist spends each day. It went from US$171.74 to US$148.26. That is about 14 dollars less for every 100. So January to July 2025 were worked out with the higher figure, and later months with the lower one.
Second, in May 2026. SLTDA changed its method. It now uses figures for each country. It used the new method from January 2026. This raised the estimate for January from US$378 million to US$414 million, and for February from US$352 million to US$381 million.
Here is a check you can do. In the Central Bank's March file, January 2026 works out to about US$1,364 for each tourist. That is 14 dollars lower for every 100 than January 2025 (US$1,585). The cut in the daily spending figure was also about 14. So the fall in money for each tourist matches the size of the change SLTDA made to its estimate. It does not show that tourists spent less.
The Central Bank table still shows 2025 with the old figures. So we cannot say how much of the 2026 change is real. March and April 2026 were weak for tourist numbers, about 20 fewer for every 100. The table does not say why, so we will not guess.
The Central Bank will add September on 30 October 2026. We will update this guide then. News reports already quote September numbers. We wait for the official table before we use a number.
What you can do
If you run a hotel, guesthouse or hostel
Do not set your prices from these national numbers. They do not tell you what your guests spend. Work out your own number instead: the money each guest pays you for each night, month by month. For guests' own spending, SLTDA's survey of tourists who are leaving is a better guide. Tourists on a package tour said they spend about US$215 to US$240 a day. Most tourists on their own plan said US$142 to US$164. See how tourists plan and book.
- Write down your own money per guest for each night, every month.
- Compare package guests and guests on their own plan.
- Use quiet months to test offers, not to guess from national numbers.
If you run tours, or you are a guide or driver
Package tourists say they spend more each day. Travel agents sell these packages. Talk to agents about day trips and experiences they can add for tourists who are already in Sri Lanka.
- Tell agents what you offer, and what it costs per person.
- Make a simple day trip that an agent can sell in one line.
If you organise events
Pick dates from the number of tourists, not from the money estimate. The two move together, so the money estimate adds nothing for timing. Read the busiest and quietest months.
- Choose dates from the arrivals calendar.
- Add your event to Friday.lk Events so people can find it.
If you write about tourism or quote the numbers
Say "SLTDA's estimate, published by the Central Bank". Do not write that earnings fell in 2026 unless you also say that SLTDA changed its method in August 2025 and May 2026. Show the number of tourists next to it.
Want to share or quote this?
Please write: “Source: Friday.lk analysis of SLTDA earnings estimates published by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, January to August 2026.”
You can use our charts for free if you give credit to Friday.lk and SLTDA and the Central Bank. The numbers belong to SLTDA and the Central Bank. Download the numbers (they open in Excel): Money tourists spend each month, 2009 to 2026 (estimates).
Where the numbers come from
The money numbers are SLTDA's estimates, published by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL). The tourist numbers are from SLTDA. Here is what we used:
- Central Bank of Sri Lanka, table 2.14.1 Earnings from Tourism (file dated 30 September 2026, data to August 2026)
- Central Bank of Sri Lanka, table 2.14.1 (file dated 31 March 2026, used for January and February 2026 before the method change)
- Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Annual Economic Report 2025, featured chart 1.8: Earnings from Tourism and Tourist Arrivals
- SLTDA tourist arrivals and statistics
- Central Bank of Sri Lanka, advance release calendar 2026
The Central Bank says the money numbers are based on SLTDA's survey. They are estimates made from the number of tourists, the average spending each day and the average number of nights, not money counted. The Central Bank marks the 2026 numbers as not yet final. We worked out "per tourist" ourselves by dividing the money estimate by SLTDA's number of tourists. The two changes (August 2025 and May 2026) are from the Central Bank's own notes. The spending figures are from its Annual Economic Report. The Central Bank table runs to August 2026. The January and February figures before the method change are from its March 2026 file.
Common questions
How much does tourism earn Sri Lanka?
SLTDA, Sri Lanka's tourism authority, estimated that tourists spent US$3,219 million in 2025. The Central Bank of Sri Lanka publishes the estimate. In 2018 it was US$4,381 million.
Did tourism earnings fall in 2026?
The estimate for January to August 2026 is US$2,061 million. For the same months of 2025 it was US$2,290 million, so about 10 dollars lower for every 100. But SLTDA lowered its spending figure in August 2025 and changed its method in May 2026. So we cannot say how much of this is a real fall.
How much does a tourist spend in Sri Lanka?
Since August 2025, SLTDA's estimate uses about US$148.26 a day for each tourist, from its survey of tourists who are leaving. Before that it used US$171.74. Our own sum for 2025 is about US$1,363 for each tourist for the whole trip.
Which month earns the most?
The monthly estimate is built from the number of tourists, so the busy months, December to March, always look highest. It does not show that each tourist spent more. Use our busiest and quietest months calendar to pick dates.
Where do these numbers come from?
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka publishes them in table 2.14.1, "Earnings from Tourism". The Central Bank says they are based on the SLTDA survey. They are estimates, not money counted.
