Sri Lanka tourism sees decline in European visit over Middle East transit disruptions

Sri Lanka's arrivals from Europe have declined, specifically among Europeans who rely on the Middle East transit corridor to reach the island, according to Nalin Jayasundera, President of the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) and a board director of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB),

Speaking at the Sri Lanka pavilion at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2026, held at Dubai World Trade Centre, he said, “If you take the eight months of this year, there is a slight dip of about two to three per cent to Sri Lanka.”

He added that most European travellers to Sri Lanka don't fly direct but connect through Gulf hubs. “The main dip is coming from the European source markets because quite a number of clients, as a percentage, if you take, they use Middle Eastern carriers to travel to Sri Lanka. So, they will stop in Dubai or Abu Dhabi or Qatar, and then they travel to Sri Lanka. (Sic)”

However, the recent disruptions have led to travellers growing hesitant to route their trips that way.

Nalin added they expect the European dip to be corrected by next winter, specifying a gradual increase in inquiries from two tour operators. He emphasised that the dip, however, does not reflect a weakening of interest in Sri Lanka as a destination.

“There is a growth from the Australian market. So, Asia Pacific, if you take, the growth is there,” He said to Gulf News, “But Europe, if you take Western Europe, there is a slight dip in arrivals. But I think that will get rectified or corrected by next winter.”

Dubai has the highest number of flights connecting to Sri Lanka. According to him, Emirates alone, has about four flights for a week. “Then direct flights, if you take, they are about 85 to 90 for a week. So accessible to my Sri Lanka is very easy, and it is about four hours of flying,” he added.

Deputy Managing Director of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) Chamila Jayarathna presented the core branding pillars for the nation at ATM 2026 as ‘compact, diverse, and authentic’, speaking at a press briefing at ATM 2026.

He shared the market overview of tourism stating that, in 2025, Sri Lanka achieved a base of 2.36 million tourist arrivals, slightly over the numbers in 2018, though the recent regional uncertainty has impacted current targets.

“The Sri Lanka tourism is aiming to get 3 million tourists. We are looking for new destination without only relying on our traditional sourcing destination,” he said.

He remains confident in future recovery through new strategies. Earlier this year, the government also expanded free visa policy to more countries to ease travel for visitors from key source markets, as initiative to boost visitor numbers to the island nation.

“That's why we have called the alliance also to come here because some of the allies who they generate the transit passengers. (Sic)”

He also outlined upcoming plans at the ATM 2026 to deepen Sri Lanka's airline partnerships. He said the country is set to renew its MOU with Emirates, alongside a new MOU with Qatar Airways also expected to follow.

“Likewise, today also I met some airline stakeholders, so we are thinking of expanding our air connectivity and then having very close relations with the airline partners just to promote Sri Lanka by way of joint promotions, he added “So, these are the experiences that Middle East people, after coming to Sri Lanka, have done in Sri Lanka.”

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Details about the latest developments on the Pekoe Trail, were discussed at the briefing. The long-distance walking trail, located at the central highlands of Sri Lanka launched roughly three years ago, has been steadily gaining popularity.

Starting in Kandy, the trail unfolding across 22 stages over roughly 300 kilometres. Nalin said the route is flexible enough for casual walkers as well as dedicated trekkers, with shorter, easier stages available near Kandy for those not looking for a hardcore trek.