Colombo, Feb 23 (IANS) Indian tourists visiting Sri Lanka have steadily increased over the past three years, reinforcing India’s position as the largest source of foreign visitors.
While Indian tourists accounted for 17 per cent of total arrivals in 2022, their share rose to 22.5 per cent in 2025, underscoring India’s clear dominance compared to other nations, a report said on Monday.
According to a report in the leading international news magazine ‘The Diplomat’, the United Kingdom ranked as Sri Lanka’s second-largest source market at 9.5 per cent in 2025, with 224,643 arrivals, while Indian arrivals now exceed those from the next closest country by more than double.
“Tourism has been vital in Sri Lanka’s economic recovery after the 2022 economic crisis. It is now one of the fastest-reviving sources of foreign income. In 2022, arrivals dropped to 719,978. This generated $1.1 billion, or 5.2 per cent of foreign exchange earnings. By 2025, arrivals climbed to 2.3 million as travel confidence gradually returned, and tourism revenue rose to $3.2 billion. This rebound has stabilised foreign reserves, supported jobs, and revived related sectors from aviation to hospitality,” the report detailed.
“Indian tourists are a key component of this growth, and they are quietly reshaping Sri Lanka’s tourism landscape. From propping up the national airline to redefining air connectivity, this market is driving the island’s economic recovery. They have also turned the country into a top honeymoon hotspot and are setting new trends for the sector,” it added.
The report highlighted that India emerged as the leading source market for Sri Lankan Airlines in 2025, with 200,141 passengers, representing roughly 37.6 per cent of tourist arrivals, highlighting a clear trend. Although long-haul destinations remain significant, it said, Indian travellers provide “volume, frequency, and relative stability” for the national carrier.
“Sri Lanka’s air connectivity has also evolved through the rapid expansion of Indian low-cost carriers, most notably IndiGo. In 2022, the Indian low-cost carrier accounted for only 4.9 per cent of inbound traffic to Sri Lanka. As demand from Indian travellers increased, IndiGo expanded routes and flight frequencies, raising its market share to 6.6 per cent in 2023 and 8.5 per cent in 2024,” the report mentioned.
“By 2025, IndiGo captured 12 per cent of total inbound tourist air traffic and is now one of the fastest-growing carriers serving the island. Its low-cost model and direct connectivity from multiple Indian cities have lowered travel costs to Sri Lanka. High-frequency short-haul services have also broadened access, particularly for first-time and price-sensitive tourists,” it further noted.
Despite Sri Lanka being hit by Cyclone Ditwah in November 2025, the report said that “more than 56,000 Indian tourists visited the country,” accounting for nearly 45 per cent of all arrivals in December last year.
–IANS
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