Tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka crossed the 100,000 mark within the first 26 days of September, according to provisional data from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA). By September 25, the total number of international visitors stood at 99,955, with the milestone being reached last Thursday.
The daily average of arrivals for September was 3,998, slightly higher than the previous week, while the weekly average was around 26,000. The total year-to-date arrival figure reached 1.46 million.
India remained the largest source of tourist traffic, accounting for 21.6% of arrivals in September. The UK followed with 7.4%, and Germany contributed 6.9%. Other key markets included China, Australia, Spain, and Bangladesh.
Tourist numbers had been impacted recently by delays in visa processing due to the suspension of a system managed by the VFS Global-led consortium, following a Supreme Court directive. Although on-arrival visas were available at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), staff shortages led to long queues and delays. The situation improved after the government reactivated the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system managed by Mobitel, easing concerns for the tourism sector ahead of the upcoming season.