International tourism, receipts for travel items in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: International tourism, receipts for travel items was 682.00 million current US$ in 2020. ◆ Volatile
International tourism, receipts for travel items in Sri Lanka, 1995–2020
Source: Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files, UN Tourism. Measured in current US$.
Analysis
In 2020, international tourism, receipts for travel items in Sri Lanka stood at 682.00 million current US$.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 81.1% on the previous year and up 18.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, international tourism, receipts for travel items in Sri Lanka peaked at 4.38 billion current US$ in 2018 and was at its lowest, 166.00 million current US$, in 1996.
Sri Lanka ranks 80th of 191 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
International tourism, receipts for travel items in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 226.00 million current US$ | — |
| 1996 | 166.00 million current US$ | -26.5% |
| 1997 | 209.00 million current US$ | +25.9% |
| 1998 | 230.00 million current US$ | +10.0% |
| 1999 | 273.00 million current US$ | +18.7% |
| 2000 | 248.00 million current US$ | -9.2% |
| 2001 | 213.00 million current US$ | -14.1% |
| 2002 | 363.00 million current US$ | +70.4% |
| 2003 | 441.00 million current US$ | +21.5% |
| 2004 | 513.00 million current US$ | +16.3% |
| 2005 | 429.00 million current US$ | -16.4% |
| 2006 | 410.00 million current US$ | -4.4% |
| 2007 | 385.00 million current US$ | -6.1% |
| 2008 | 342.00 million current US$ | -11.2% |
| 2009 | 350.00 million current US$ | +2.3% |
| 2010 | 576.00 million current US$ | +64.6% |
| 2011 | 830.00 million current US$ | +44.1% |
| 2012 | 1.04 billion current US$ | +25.2% |
| 2013 | 1.72 billion current US$ | +65.1% |
| 2014 | 2.43 billion current US$ | +41.7% |
| 2015 | 2.98 billion current US$ | +22.6% |
| 2016 | 3.52 billion current US$ | +18.0% |
| 2017 | 3.92 billion current US$ | +11.6% |
| 2018 | 4.38 billion current US$ | +11.6% |
| 2019 | 3.61 billion current US$ | -17.7% |
| 2020 | 682.00 million current US$ | -81.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 220.80 million current US$ | 166.00 million current US$ | 273.00 million current US$ | 5 |
| 2000s | 369.40 million current US$ | 213.00 million current US$ | 513.00 million current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.50 billion current US$ | 576.00 million current US$ | 4.38 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 682.00 million current US$ | 682.00 million current US$ | 682.00 million current US$ | 1 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More private sector data for Sri Lanka
- Merchandise trade 32.2% (2025)
- Food imports 15.3% (2024)
- Manufactures imports 59.7% (2024)
- Merchandise imports 21.48 billion current US$ (2025)
- Food exports 27.3% (2024)
- Manufactures exports 66.0% (2024)
- Merchandise exports 13.58 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 624.24 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1248 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), annual growth rate 6.33 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is international tourism, receipts for travel items in Sri Lanka?
- International tourism, receipts for travel items in Sri Lanka was 682.00 million current US$ in 2020, according to Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files, UN Tourism.
- What is the highest international tourism, receipts for travel items recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 4.38 billion current US$ in 2018.
- What is the lowest international tourism, receipts for travel items recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 166.00 million current US$ in 1996.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for international tourism, receipts for travel items?
- Sri Lanka ranks 80th out of 191 countries with data for 2020.
- Is international tourism, receipts for travel items rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from Yearbook of Tourism Statistics, Compendium of Tourism Statistics and data files, UN Tourism, published as part of International tourism, receipts for travel items (current US$). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
International tourism receipts for travel items are expenditures by international inbound visitors in the reporting economy. The goods and services are purchased by, or on behalf of, the traveler or provided, without a quid pro quo, for the traveler to use or give away. These receipts should include any other prepayment made for goods or services received in the destination country. They also may include receipts from same-day visitors, except in cases where these are so important as to justify a separate classification. Excluded is the international carriage of travelers, which is covered in passenger travel items. Data are in current U.S. dollars.