Sri Lanka's tourism earnings fall in 2026 first half compared to last year

Sri Lanka's earnings from the tourism industry have declined compared to the first six months of last year, according to the latest report by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL).The report states that tourism revenue from January to June 2026 totalled US$1,511.1 million, down from US$1,712.6 million recorded during the corresponding period in 2025.Tourism earnings also declined on a monthly basis. While the country earned US$155.7 million from tourism in May 2026, the figure fell to US$151.1 million in June.Compared to June 2025, tourism revenue also recorded a year-on-year decline. The Central Bank noted that Sri Lanka earned US$169.5 million from tourism in June last year.Meanwhile, foreign remittance inflows also fell in June compared to the previous month.Sri Lanka received US$847 million in worker remittances in May, while inflows declined to US$695 million in June, marking a month-on-month decrease of US$152 million.However, despite the monthly decline, remittance inflows during the first six months of 2026 remained significantly higher than in the same period last year.According to the Central Bank, Sri Lanka received US$4,604.8 million in remittances between January and June 2026, compared to US$3,738 million during the corresponding period in 2025.This represents an increase of US$866.8 million in foreign remittances over the first half of the year compared to the same period last year.