Sri Lanka Tourism Growth: Airports Near Full Capacity

Sri Lanka’s rapid tourism rebound is straining airport infrastructure. As arrivals surge, airlines, travel agents and destination managers must collaborate on visa reform, slot allocation, and regional linkages to hit the 2.6 million visitor target.

Sri Lanka’s Tourism Boom: Opportunity Meets Infrastructure Challenge

Sri Lanka has opened the final quarter of 2025 with strong momentum in tourist arrivals—yet beneath the surface, a critical question looms: can the country scale its infrastructure fast enough to sustain growth? For B2B travel agents, consolidators, airline operators, and corporate travel planners, this moment demands strategic foresight.

Surge in Arrivals Signals Strong Demand

From October 1–6, 2025, Sri Lanka welcomed 34,046 international visitors, marking a 31.12% year-on-year rise over the same period in 2024.
Year to date, the country has crossed 1.75 million arrivals, reflecting a 16.2% increase from 2024.

India continues to lead as the top source market, contributing 10,738 of those early-October arrivals (31.5 %), followed by China (3,684) and the U.K. (2,200).

These trends highlight that Sri Lanka’s appeal is growing especially in Asian markets—a strategic insight for B2B travel business targeting source markets in India, China and Southeast Asia.

The 2.6 Million Visitor Target: Ambitious but Achievable

To hit its revised annual goal of 2.6 million arrivals, Sri Lanka must attract approximately 270,000 visitors per month for the rest of 2025. That runs ahead of the best monthly performance so far (January: 252,761 arrivals).

Given infrastructure constraints—especially at its major airport—achieving this pace will require coordinated action across public and private stakeholders.

Airport Capacity: The Silent Bottleneck

Bandaranaike Airport at Capacity

Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) is under acute operational pressure. Though designed for roughly 6 million passengers annually, it now regularly handles more than 10 million.

Sources report that around 40 new weekly slot requests for the upcoming winter season have already been rejected due to capacity limitations.
Some airlines are being forced to divert flights to Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) to avoid congestion at BIA.

Peak-hour surges and simultaneous arrivals further stress immigration, ground handling, and terminal circulation. Authorities have even restricted visitor access to the departure hall during late hours to ease flow.

Mattala Airport: An Underused Alternative

MRIA, originally designed for six million annual passengers, has long been criticized as a “white elephant” due to low utilization and logistical constraints.

While it offers runway capacity, its distance from Colombo and weak connectivity limit its appeal to airlines and travelers.
Nonetheless, as BIA hits its ceiling, MRIA’s potential as a relief valve becomes more relevant, especially for charter operations.

The Sri Lankan government has also moved to hand over MRIA’s management to private firms (from India and Russia) in a 30-year lease, signaling a push to improve efficiency and utilization.

Terminal Expansion Delays and Operational Strain

Attempts to build a second terminal at BIA have stalled following the country’s 2022 debt crisis
Without expansion, the existing terminal continues to experience congestion, long queues, and immigration delays, which could degrade visitor experience and harm Sri Lanka’s positioning as a seamless hub.

Strategic Levers for Meeting Growth — What B2B Stakeholders Should Know

1. Prioritize Slot Optimization and Collaborative Scheduling

• Airlines and airport authorities will need to refine slot allocation models to prioritize high-yield, long-haul, and strategic frequency flights.

• Use off-peak windows, night slots, and rotational load balancing to smooth traffic peaks.
  
  

2. Leverage MRIA as a Strategic Relief Node

• Charter operators can consider routing non-core flights to MRIA where feasible.

• B2B partners can promote multi-stop itineraries that use both airports, factoring in ground transfers.
  
  

3. Advocate for Accelerated Infrastructure Upgrades

• Stakeholders must press for renewed investment in BIA’s second terminal, runway capacity, apron expansions, and terminal modernization.

• Public–private partnerships may be crucial, especially given Sri Lanka’s fiscal constraints.
  
  

4. Advance Visa and Entry Reforms

Sri Lanka recently suspended its e-Visa scheme and reverted to ETA or visa-on-arrival models, while also granting visa-free access to 38 countries (including India, China, the U.K. and U.S.) to reduce entry friction.
Streamlining immigration processing, automating gates, and expanding staff count can reduce arrival bottlenecks during peak traffic periods.

5. Develop Regional & Multi-Destination Packages

• Collaborations with neighboring markets (e.g. Maldives, India, the Maldives–Sri Lanka–India circuit) can distribute tourist flows and mitigate pressure on main hubs.

• Use narrative packaging—“Sri Lanka + Maldives + southern India”—to diversify inbound flows across gateways.
  
  

6. Monitor Demand Markets and Tailor Capacity

• India remains the dominant source, while China, the U.K., Russia, and Bangladesh are rising contributors.

• B2B operators should dynamically match capacity to seasonal demand curves to avoid overstrain.
  
  

Risks & Considerations

• Visitor Experience Impact: Pressures at arrival halls, immigration, baggage handling, and connectivity can degrade satisfaction and lead to negative feedback loops.

• Airline Reluctance: If slot constraints persist, carriers may reallocate capacity to less constrained markets.

• Operational Costs: Diversions to MRIA or use of ground transfers may increase costs and complexity.

• Policy & Fiscal Constraints: Infrastructure expansion may be delayed due to budgetary limitations or procurement constraints.
  
  

Conclusion & Takeaways for B2B Travel and Aviation Partners

Sri Lanka’s tourism rebound is a compelling opportunity—but only if the infrastructure keeps pace. For B2B travel professionals, the window to influence, adapt, and strategize is now.

• Align with slot and capacity constraints: Be flexible in flight timing and route design.

• Promote MRIA as part of the solution: Use it strategically to relieve congestion at BIA.

• Push for faster reforms: Visa, immigration, terminal expansion—all must move quickly.

• Design multi-destination offerings: Spread demand across hubs.

If Sri Lanka can successfully navigate these constraints, it can reach (or even exceed) the 2.6 million visitor goal, proving that rapid tourism growth and infrastructure scaling can coexist. For B2B stakeholders, being part of that execution is an investment in long-term relevance and competitive edge.

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