Sri Lanka’s tourism industry has begun 2026 on a strong footing, recording its highest-ever January arrivals, welcoming over 277,000 visitors and surpassing the previous high of 252,761 registered last year.

The country welcomed 277,327 tourists in January, marking a 10% year-on-year (YoY) increase compared to the same period last year. The improvement was underpinned by a notable rise in average daily arrivals, highlighting the industry’s continued recovery momentum following several years of disruption.

Average daily arrivals stood at 8,946 during the month, while the highest single-day inflow was recorded on 15 January, when 10,483 visitors arrived in the country. Weekly figures showed a steady upward trend, with 58,822 arrivals in the first week of January, followed by 62,590 in the second week, 64,077 in the third, and a sharp rise to 91,838 in the final week of the month.

Colombo has been ranked the most unaffordable city in the world for buying property, according to the latest Property Prices Index from Numbeo, the world’s largest cost-of-living database.

The data show that the price-to-income ratio in Colombo is 55.3, meaning the average property costs more than 55 times the average annual income. 

By comparison, the gross rental yield—the annual rental income as a percentage of property price—is just 3% in the city center and 3.8% outside the center, making property investment less profitable.

Furthermore, the mortgage burden for the average resident is staggering, with mortgage payments equivalent to 774% of annual income. The city’s a

Sri Lanka’s tourism recovery continues to gain strong momentum, with total arrivals reaching 2,258,202 visitors from January to 21 December 2025, reflecting renewed global confidence in the destination.

Provisional data shows that 154,609 tourists arrived between 1 and 21 December 2025 alone, underlining strong demand during the peak travel season.

This milestone marks another positive step forward for Sri Lanka’s tourism industry and national economy.