Sri Lanka, May 2 -- The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) stated that the number of tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka so far this year has crossed the 850,000 mark.

The SLTDA said that a total of 277,327 and 279,328 arrivals were recorded in January and February respectively, reflecting a notable increase compared to both 2025 and 2018.

However, the positive momentum slowed in March 2026, with tourist arrivals declining to 183,979.

The SLTDA states that this sudden drop has been due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Meanwhile, only 117,893 tourists have arrived in April, SLTDA said.

The SLTDA also states that despite the decline in March, total tourist arrivals for the year had reached a total of 858,527 by the en...