Sri Lanka sees dip in early December tourist arrivals following Cyclone Ditwah
COLOMBO – Sri Lanka recorded a drop in average daily tourist arrivals during the first eight days of December, according to official data, as the fallout from Cyclone Ditwah continues to affect the country’s key travel season.
The cyclone, which caused widespread flooding and landslides and left more than 600 people dead, has disrupted travel to major tourist hotspots in the central hill districts of Kandy and Nuwara Eliya, areas that typically draw thousands of visitors during the peak season from mid-November to mid-March.
Data from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) shows that the island welcomed an average of 6,278 visitors per day between December 1 and 8, compared with a daily average of 8,019 for the full month of December last year. This represents a 21.7% decline year-on-year, and an 11.5% drop when compared with the average daily arrivals recorded in November 2025.
Despite the temporary setback, industry representatives say the overall impact on December tourism may remain limited. Officials from the Inbound Tour Operators Association noted that most cancellations have been minimal and expressed confidence that arrivals will increase from mid-December as conditions stabilize and travel routes reopen.
In the first eight days of December alone, Sri Lanka received 50,222 foreign visitors, a 6.5% increase from the 47,175 arrivals recorded during the same period last year, indicating that overall demand for travel to the island remains strong despite the recent disaster.
Tourism authorities last week reported that cancellation rates stood at only around 1%, and confirmed that major attractions have reopened following post-cyclone clearance and safety checks. They also reiterated that the industry is ready to welcome travellers without disruption for the remainder of the season.
Tourism remains Sri Lanka’s third-largest source of foreign exchange after worker remittances and garment exports, contributing around 3% to the country’s GDP. As of December 8, Sri Lanka has recorded 2,153,815 tourist arrivals for 2025, surpassing the total annual arrivals for 2024, which stood at 2,053,465.
-ENCL
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