Sri Lanka targets over 30% growth in Australian tourist arrivals
Sri Lanka’s tourism industry is showing strong signs of recovery despite the impact of Cyclone Ditwah in November 2025.
The country welcomed a record 2.36 million tourists in 2025, including around 114,000 Australian visitors. Australian arrivals grew by about 20%, crossing the 100,000 mark for the first time.
Sri Lanka is now targeting 150,000 Australian visitors in 2026, representing growth of more than 30%.
Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau Chairman Buddhika Hewawasam said around 95% of Australian visitors are travelling primarily for holidays, rather than visiting friends and relatives.
Australian travellers are also staying longer, with an average visit of around 14 days. Many combine beaches, cultural attractions and the Central Highlands in a single trip.
Sri Lanka’s repeat-visitor rate is currently around 40%, highlighting continued interest in the destination.
Improved air connectivity is expected to support further growth. Jetstar’s new services to Colombo have significantly increased available capacity, while connections through airlines including Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet, Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines are also supporting visitor growth.
Sri Lanka is also expanding tourism promotions beyond Sydney and Melbourne, with Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide increasingly targeted as important Australian markets.
Despite extensive damage to roads and railways from Cyclone Ditwah, tourism infrastructure was largely unaffected, according to Hewawasam. Visitor numbers also remained strong, with 270,000 arrivals in January and 280,000 in February.
Sri Lanka is now focused on maintaining this momentum and turning the strong recovery into sustained tourism growth beyond 2026.
More updates to come on AusNewsLanka.
Source : Karryon.com
Comments