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Tourism remained subdued: arrivals in 1-23 September edged up 0.31% year on year, led by India, but year-to-date arrivals were 1.83% lower amid Middle East disruptions and softer global demand. August tourism earnings rose 2.1%, ending a 10-month decline, yet year-to-date revenue fell 10%. Higher energy costs and weakened purchasing power also weighed on tourism demand.
Auto-generated from 6 sector news articles over 14 days. Not investment advice.
Maldives has doubled the mandatory foreign-currency conversion for Category A tourism establishments from 20% to 40% (effective 1 Sept 2026) and added a prior-approval requirement for foreign‑currency payments. The measures could squeeze resort liquidity, weaken Maldives' competitiveness and create opportunities for Sri Lanka's tourism sector.
The Cabinet approved procurement for eight more automated passenger clearance gates at Bandaranaike International Airport, raising the planned total to 12 and allowing foreign travellers to use the facility. The expansion, linked to an e-passport rollout in 2027, aims to streamline immigration as passenger numbers grow.
Vietjet was named "Asia's Leading Airline Brand 2026" at the World Travel Awards and is expanding its international network to include Sri Lanka, launching direct Colombo-Ho Chi Minh City services that began on 18 August 2026.
Shangri-La Colombo and Shangri-La Hambantota will host 'Taste of Shangri-La', a month-long culinary festival from 1-31 October 2026 featuring four distinct dining experiences and tasting menus priced between LKR 10,500++ and LKR 18,000++ per person.
Cathay Pacific has cancelled its Middle East passenger services to Dubai and Riyadh through January 31, 2027. Impacted passengers are eligible to rebook, reroute or request a full refund and the airline said it will continue to monitor the situation.
Emirates launched a multi-market campaign timed to Dubai's winter events, offering travellers who book eligible return tickets complimentary attraction passes worth AED 535 (Atlantis Aquaventure, Lost World Aquarium and Dubai City Sightseeing) plus unlimited free date changes; tickets must be purchased 21 Sep-11 Oct 2026 for travel 24 Sep-13 Dec 2026. The offer also includes My Emirates Pass discounts and Skywards benefits.
W15 Collection's W15 Hanthana Estate and W15 Ambuluwawa won Sri Lanka's Leading Luxury and Leading Boutique Hotel awards at the 33rd annual World Travel Awards Asia, Oceania & Indian Ocean ceremony in the Maldives, boosting Sri Lanka's boutique hospitality profile internationally.
Sri Lanka received 122,194 tourists from 1-23 Sept 2026, a 0.31% rise (+377) versus the same period last year, taking YTD arrivals to 1,657,316. India was the top source (31% for 1-23 Sept; 26% YTD), but YTD arrivals remain 1.83% below 2025 amid Middle East disruptions and softer global demand.
Ceylon Hotels Corporation PLC's EKHO brand opened EKHO Belihuloya, a 16-room hotel, the sixth property in the EKHO portfolio. The property is positioned in a new 'Adventure Cluster' to boost nature- and activity-led stays, with Kithulgala Rest House also being transformed to join the cluster.
City of Dreams Sri Lanka, billed as South Asia's first and largest fully integrated resort, establishes a mixed-use destination in central Colombo combining luxury accommodation, gaming, retail, dining and MICE facilities. The resort aims to extend visitor stays in Colombo and create opportunities for local brands and skills development.
Newly elected SLAITO President Bobby Jordan Hansen called for a formal role for the association in shaping tourism policy and a genuine level playing field, urging unregistered operators be formalised rather than punished. She said 95% of members are SMEs, urged market-specific promotion to boost bookings, and warned that overseas migration of hospitality workers is eroding service standards.
Sri Lanka ranked 10th among the world's fastest-improving travel and tourism economies in the WEF's TTDI 2026, recording a 4.3% score gain between 2024 and 2026. The report notes record global tourism growth and says Sri Lanka posted 2.36 million visitors and about $3.2 billion in tourism earnings in 2025.
The SLTDA hosted the National Celebration of World Tourism Day 2026 at Taj Samudra, Colombo, focused on digital transformation and AI; the Tourism Start-Up Competition attracted 52 applications, shortlisted 25 and selected 12 winners (six each in tertiary and commercial categories). The event stressed AI adoption and collaboration across government, industry, academia and tech to boost competitiveness and visitor experiences.
Fitch upgraded Sri Lanka's sovereign rating to B- from CCC+ with a Stable outlook. CBSL Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe said the upgrade reflects macro stabilization and reforms, and outlined measures including a National Climate Finance Strategy and linking LANKAQR with regional payment systems to support tourism and investment.
Hilton Colombo will host its 33rd annual Oktoberfest from 29 October to 7 November 2026 with ten nights of Bavarian food, flowing brews, live Oompah band music and traditional games. Early-bird buffet passes start at LKR 7,888 (weekdays); general passes from LKR 8,888 and VIP from LKR 10,888.
ITC Ratnadipa is hosting 'Around the Island', an art exhibition by Nihal Sangabo Dias at its WelcomGallery from 25 September to 11 October 2026 to mark World Tourism Day; the exhibition is open for complimentary viewing.
Spa Ceylon hosted The Sleep Conference 2026 on 23 September at Cinnamon Grand Colombo to explore the science of sleep and the potential for sleep tourism in Sri Lanka. The event, in partnership with the SLMA and Comfort World, featured medical experts and a fireside chat including John Keells' Dileep Mudadeniya.
Hayleys PLC's Hayleys Solar completed 1,300 kWp of solar installations across three hotels, Golden Star Beach Hotel (240 kWp), Tangerine Beach Hotel (780.57 kWp) and DoubleTree by Hilton Weerawila (280.25 kWp), expected to cut about 1,356 tonnes of CO2 annually.
Heritance Hotels & Resorts partnered with Indian actor Sara Ali Khan for a celebrity-led cover shoot at Heritance Kandalama to showcase Sri Lanka's landscapes, heritage and hospitality to Indian audiences.
Hayleys Mobility (part of Hayleys PLC) delivered 21 JAECOO J7 plug-in hybrid vehicles to Jetwing Travels and Jetwing Journeys for airport transfers, excursions and tours. The PHEVs offer about 90 km electric-only driving, up to 1,200 km combined range and an estimated saving of ~LKR15/km versus petrol.
Sri Lanka hosted the Grand Finale of the Global CIO Forum 2026 in Colombo, attracting over 300 CIOs and ICT professionals from 50+ countries and highlighting government efforts to promote the ICT sector and position the country as a MICE tourism destination.
National inflation (NCPI) accelerated to 8.1% YoY in August 2026, up from 7.2% in July, with the index at 223.9 (MoM +0.26%). The rise was led by non-food items-notably Transport (petrol contributed 1.14 percentage points) and Housing-while food inflation also jumped, driven by fresh and dried fish, green chillies and onions.
Sri Lanka Convention Bureau has launched SL MICE Expo 2026, scheduled in Colombo from 5-9 October 2026, bringing together more than 120 international hosted buyers and media representatives from 27 countries. The event aims to showcase Sri Lanka's MICE capabilities, generate business leads for local suppliers and strengthen the country's position as a destination for international business events.
The Chamber of Marine Industries of Sri Lanka held its AGM on 15 September 2026 and appointed Ricky Barnett as its new Chairman. New office-bearers were named and the Chamber said the leadership will work with members and government to strengthen marine manufacturing, boat-building, maritime services and nautical tourism.
Sri Lanka was named the world's top trending and fastest-growing wellness destination for 2026, recording the highest year-on-year growth in traveller interest, according to BookRetreats.com and Time Out. Santani Wellness marks its 10th anniversary and is credited with pioneering modern wellness tourism in the country.
EDB unveiled a SriLankan Airlines A321neo branded with the "Sri Lanka Expo 2027" identity to promote the international exhibition scheduled for 14-17 Jan 2027 at BMICH, Colombo. The expo aims to host 750+ exhibitors and 1,500+ international buyers, and SriLankan will offer up to 20% economy and 10% business fare discounts for attendees.
Aitken Spence Hotel Holdings said its debenture sale to raise up to 5.0 billion rupees was oversubscribed, receiving applications totalling 5.65445 billion rupees. Type A 5-year debentures at 13.00% drew 5.02 billion and Type B 5-year at 12.60% drew 628.52 million; demand for 7-year tenors was modest.
Sri Lanka's tourism earnings rose 2.1% YoY in August to $264.4m, breaking a 10-month decline. Year-to-August revenue fell 10% YoY to $2.06bn and remains about 30% below August 2018 levels, with SLTDA methodology revisions complicating comparisons as a $4.2bn 2026 target looms.
Passport Reports' September data rank Sri Lanka 35th of 199 in the Welcoming Ranking, while the Sri Lankan passport is ranked 170th with a Mobility Score of 53 (access to 53 destinations) and 145 destinations requiring visas.
India has extended financial assistance for the Nagapattinam-Kankesanthurai passenger ferry for a third consecutive year, providing viability gap funding of about Rs.300 million annually to sustain operations. India will also fund rehabilitation of Kankesanthurai Harbour under a $65m grant and explore additional routes; the ferry moved ~52,000 passengers since August 2024.