Dhaka, Aug. 16 -- SRI Lanka's tourism earnings crossed the $2 billion revenue mark in the first seven months of 2025, though July saw a slight decline despite strong visitor arrivals.

The latest data released by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) revealed that during the first seven months, the tourism sector has earned over $2.03 billion, up 7.8pc year-on-year (YoY) compared to the same period last year.

However, the figure is still short of the 2018 JanuaryJuly record of over $2.59 billion-the year Sri Lanka posted its highest-ever tourism revenue of $4.38 billion.

Given the ambitious targets by year-end, the sector faces an uphill battle to meet $5 billion in earnings and 3 million arrivals after a mixed performance in the first s...