Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka: Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes was 673,100 trips in 2022. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2022)
673,100 trips
Change on year
up 256.1%
World rank
91st
of 179 countries
All-time high
2.20 million trips
in 2018
All-time low
189,000 trips
in 2021
Years of data
28
1995–2022

Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in Sri Lanka, 1995–2022

0500.0k1.0M1.5M2.0M1995200820221995: 389.0k trips1996: 291.0k trips1997: 353.0k trips1998: 362.0k trips1999: 413.0k trips2000: 381.0k trips2001: 314.0k trips2002: 351.0k trips2003: 445.0k trips2004: 492.0k trips2005: 444.0k trips2006: 443.0k trips2007: 437.0k trips2008: 395.0k trips2009: 403.0k trips2010: 564.0k trips2011: 773.0k trips2012: 893.3k trips2013: 1.2M trips2014: 1.5M trips2015: 1.8M trips2016: 2.0M trips2017: 2.0M trips2018: 2.2M trips2019: 1.7M trips2020: 487.8k trips2021: 189.0k trips2022: 673.1k trips

Source: UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in trips.

Analysis

The most recent figure for arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in Sri Lanka is 673,100 trips, measured in 2022.

The figure is up 256.1% on the previous year and down 24.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in Sri Lanka peaked at 2.20 million trips in 2018 and was at its lowest, 189,000 trips, in 2021.

That places Sri Lanka 91st out of 179 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 361,600 trips 291,000 trips 413,000 trips 5
2000s 410,500 trips 314,000 trips 492,000 trips 10
2010s 1.46 million trips 564,000 trips 2.20 million trips 10
2020s 449,967 trips 189,000 trips 673,100 trips 3

Countries ranked near Sri Lanka

  1. 88 Honduras 771,800 trips compare
  2. 89 Nicaragua 747,600 trips compare
  3. 90 Algeria 701,200 trips compare
  4. 92 Mongolia 666,000 trips compare
  5. 93 Pakistan 633,000 trips compare
  6. 94 Sudan 619,000 trips compare

See the full ranking of 179 places →

More reference data data for Sri Lanka

All data for Sri Lanka →

Frequently asked questions

What is arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in Sri Lanka?
Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes in Sri Lanka was 673,100 trips in 2022, according to UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes recorded in Sri Lanka?
The highest recorded value was 2.20 million trips in 2018.
What is the lowest arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes recorded in Sri Lanka?
The lowest recorded value was 189,000 trips in 2021.
How does Sri Lanka rank for arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes?
Sri Lanka ranks 91st out of 179 countries with data for 2022.
Is arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
Over the last ten years it is down 24.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
The figures come from UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 28 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Arrivals of tourists from abroad for personal purposes
Unit
trips
Source
UN Tourism (2025) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
179 places, 4,054 data points, 1995–2024
Last refreshed

Number of international trips where the main purpose is personal (leisure, visiting friends and relatives, health, etc.) and the visitor stays overnight.