Sri Lanka tourism earnings revised from January 2026 following a change in the methodology used to estimate monthly tourism revenue, with the revised calculations resulting in higher earnings figures for the first four months of the year.
Sri Lanka tourism earnings revised using updated calculation methodology
The state-owned Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) has retrospectively revised the methodology used to compile monthly tourism earnings estimates, with the new calculation applied from January 2026 onwards, according to the Central Bank’s latest Weekly Economic Indicators report.
The Central Bank said the revision, introduced in May 2026, was aimed at enhancing the SLTDA tourism methodology by improving the accuracy and representativeness of monthly tourism earnings estimates.
According to a footnote in the report, the revised methodology incorporates country-specific data on tourist arrivals, average daily expenditure, and average duration of stay. However, the SLTDA has not disclosed the updated assumptions for average daily spending or the average length of stay that were used in the revised calculations.
The change comes after official tourism earnings data showed a sharp decline in monthly revenue during March and April. Previously published figures indicated tourism earnings had fallen by 37 percent in March and 38.8 percent in April compared with earlier periods.
Under the revised methodology, all monthly estimates from January 2026 have been recalculated.
January tourism earnings have been revised upward to US$413.8 million, compared with the previously reported US$378 million. February earnings were increased to US$381.4 million from US$352 million.
March tourism revenue has also been revised higher to US$244.8 million, up from the earlier estimate of US$223.7 million, while April earnings were adjusted to US$164.3 million from US$157.1 million.
Although the revisions have increased reported tourism earnings for each of the first four months of the year, the SLTDA has not published detailed data explaining how the revised average daily expenditure and duration of stay were determined.
Tourism earnings in Sri Lanka are estimated using data collected through surveys conducted by the SLTDA. The survey-based approach is intended to estimate spending by international visitors during their stay in the country.
The latest revision follows an earlier adjustment made in August last year, when the estimated tourist arrivals Sri Lanka spending per visitor was reduced to US$148 per day from US$171 after the completion of a fresh expenditure survey.
The revised methodology is expected to provide a more representative estimate of tourism receipts by taking into account differences in visitor spending patterns across source markets and variations in the average duration of visits.
Tourism remains one of Sri Lanka’s key sources of foreign exchange earnings, making the accuracy of monthly tourism revenue estimates important for policymakers, investors, businesses, and analysts monitoring the country’s external sector performance.
The Central Bank noted that the revised methodology has now been fully applied retrospectively from January 2026, with the updated earnings figures replacing the previously published estimates in its official economic indicators.