Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) Chairman, Buddika Hewawasam, stated that Indian tourists are no longer low-spending visitors; in fact, they spend more on a daily basis than the average tourist arriving in the country. He revealed this during a press conference held yesterday (09).
While the average daily expenditure of a tourist in the country is $148, an Indian tourist spends an average of $154 per day.
Speaking further, SLTDA Chairman Buddika Hewawasam said:
“Currently, we are receiving a daily income of about $154 from an Indian tourist. That is actually more than the average daily expenditure of a tourist in this country. Our average tourist’s daily expenditure is $148. There is a popular opinion in Sri Lanka that Indian tourists bring less income. In reality, Indian tourists are not low-income tourists. They spend more per day than some European tourists.”
Meanwhile, the Chairman mentioned that promotional programs have been launched targeting other markets in India as well.
“We have expanded our tourism promotion programs to areas like Gujarat in India. We conducted tourism promotion activities in cities such as Surat, Rajkot, and Ahmedabad. In addition, we have started promotions for weddings and other high-end tourism in our traditional destinations of South India, Mumbai, and Delhi.”
As of July 8, 2026, the total number of tourists who have visited the country is 1,192,705, of which 304,294, or 25%, are Indian tourists.
