Sri Lanka’s tourist arrivals have crossed the 1.5 million mark in 2026, with India continuing to lead the country’s international visitor arrivals, followed by the United Kingdom and China.
According to Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Vijitha Herath, 374,820 visitors have arrived from India so far this year, followed by 147,089 arrivals from the United Kingdom and 98,801 from China.
Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath said the strong growth in tourist arrivals has encouraged several airlines to launch new services to Sri Lanka, while existing carriers are also increasing their flight frequencies to meet growing demand ahead of the winter travel season.
“Vietnam Airlines, VietJet Air and Jetstar have already commenced flights to Sri Lanka during the past two weeks,” the Minister said. Aviation Voice
He added that British Airways and French Bee are also planning to commence services to Sri Lanka, further expanding the country’s international air connectivity.
Meanwhile, major international carriers including Turkish Airlines, Emirates and Qatar Airways have increased their flight frequencies to Sri Lanka.
The Minister noted that the additional services are expected to improve air connectivity, increase available seat capacity and support the continued recovery of Sri Lanka’s aviation and tourism sectors.
With tourist arrivals continuing to grow and several new and expanded airline services coming online, the Minister expressed confidence that 2026 could become Sri Lanka’s best year for tourism.
The increase in air capacity is expected to be particularly important during the upcoming winter travel season, when demand for travel to Sri Lanka traditionally rises.
