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EXTERNAL • MonthlyUpdated: 2026-08-15
Tourism Earnings
සංචාරක ඉපැයීම් • சுற்றுலா வருவாய்
Current Observation
3.4 USD Billion / Year
YoY Trajectory
+0.5 USD Billion / Year
Policy Target Context
Higher value is generally positive
Historical Time Series (1995–2026)
Citizen Plain-Language Guide & Sri Lanka Context
What does this metric measure?
Total expenditure by visiting foreign tourists on hotels, transport, food, shopping, and entertainment in Sri Lanka.
Why does this matter to ordinary citizens?
Directly sustains over 500,000 direct and indirect jobs and acts as a primary foreign currency pillar.
Sri Lanka's 1995–2026 Experience
Suffered triple shocks: 2019 Easter Sunday attacks, 2020–2021 Covid borders closure, and 2022 fuel shortages. Made a solid recovery with arrivals surpassing 2.2 million in 2025–2026.
Historical Observations Table
| Period / Year | Value (USD Billion / Year) | Source Tier |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 0.25 | ✓ CBSL Official Record |
| 2005 | 0.43 | ✓ CBSL Official Record |
| 2010 | 0.57 | ✓ CBSL Official Record |
| 2015 | 2.98 | ✓ CBSL Official Record |
| 2018 | 4.38 | ✓ CBSL Official Record |
| 2019 | 3.61 | ✓ CBSL Official Record |
| 2020 | 0.68 | ✓ CBSL Official Record |
| 2021 | 0.5 | ✓ CBSL Official Record |
| 2022 | 1.14 | ✓ CBSL Official Record |
| 2023 | 2.07 | ✓ CBSL Official Record |
| 2024 | 2.8 | ✓ CBSL Official Record |
| 2025 | 3.2 | ✓ CBSL Official Record |
| 2026 TTM | 3.4 | ✓ CBSL Official Record |