Sri Lanka Targets 3 Million Tourists, Prioritizes Spending Quality
Sri Lanka announced at the Arabian Travel Mart that it aims to attract 3 million international tourists over the next 12 months, but is more focused on tourism earnings than visitor numbers. The government targets over $5 billion in tourism revenue. Alexi Gunasekera, consul general of Sri Lanka to Dubai, said the country is going for quality rather than quantity. In 2025, Sri Lanka received 2.36 million visitors and generated about $3.2 billion, or roughly $1,360 per visitor. To reach $5 billion from 3 million visitors, it would need to lift spending to about $1,667 per visitor, still well below destinations like the Maldives at roughly $2,480 per visitor.