Business
Sri Lanka’s tourism paradox: More visitors, less money
Sri Lanka’s tourism industry is posting arrival numbers that many destinations would envy, yet it is increasingly troubled by a disconcerting trend: the country is welcoming record numbers of visitors, but tourism earnings are struggling to keep pace.
In May, Sri Lanka recorded its highest-ever monthly increase in tourist arrivals, welcoming 145,745 visitors, a 10% rise from a year earlier. However, tourism revenue fell 5.1% year-on-year to US$155.7 million, according to official data. For the first five months of 2026, earnings declined 12% to US$1.36 billion, despite continued growth in arrivals.
“These figures highlight a growing challenge for a country that depends heavily on tourism as a source of foreign exchange: attracting more tourists is no longer enough. The bigger question is how much they spend once they arrive,” a leading hotelier told The Island Financial Review.
“After being battered by the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the 2022 economic crisis, Sri Lanka recorded a historic 2.36 million visitors in 2025. Authorities are now targeting 3 million arrivals in 2026. But beneath those anticipated numbers lies a more complicated story,” he said.
Elaborating further, he noted: “Tourism revenue reached roughly US$3.2 billion in 2025; only marginally higher than the previous year, despite a 15% jump in arrivals. More tellingly, earnings remain significantly below the levels achieved in 2018, when visitor numbers were comparable. So, the decline in average tourist spending has become impossible to ignore.”
According to official surveys, average daily tourist expenditure has been revised downward to approximately US$148 per day, compared with previous estimates exceeding US$170.
Referring to this trend, he added: “Destinations such as the Maldives attract substantially higher per-visitor spending through luxury tourism, premium experiences, and high-end accommodation. The debate should increasingly revolve around whether Sri Lanka is pursuing the right tourism model.”
For years, the country focused on boosting arrival numbers through aggressive marketing campaigns, Instagram influencer partnerships, and social media promotions. As a result, Sri Lanka may now be attracting too many budget-conscious travellers while failing to draw those seeking immersive, higher-value experiences rooted in the nation’s natural and cultural assets. “Are we grappling with the tension between ‘high-volume tourism’ and ‘high-value tourism’?” he asked. “Sri Lanka must encourage longer stays, diversify experiences beyond beaches and cultural sites, and develop premium offerings in wellness, eco-tourism, adventure, luxury rail, culinary, and wildlife sectors if it hopes to increase per-visitor spending.”
An inbound travel operator concurred, stating that the future should depend less on bringing in more people and more on attracting the right mix of travellers.
Against this backdrop, Sri Lanka appears to be intensifying efforts in key source markets. One of the most notable initiatives took place recently in Moscow, where Deputy Tourism Minister Prof. Ruwan Ranasinghe led a delegation to the sixth “Let’s Travel International Tourism Forum.” Discussions with Russian officials focused on direct flights, simplified visa procedures, destination promotion, and stronger bilateral tourism cooperation.
Russian travellers have become increasingly important to Sri Lanka’s tourism sector. Russia consistently ranks among the island’s top source markets, alongside India and the United Kingdom. In early 2026 alone, tens of thousands of Russian visitors arrived in Sri Lanka, underscoring the market’s growing significance. The Moscow forum also signalled a broader strategy: expanding beyond traditional hubs and reaching travellers across multiple Russian regions.
“The island’s beaches, wildlife reserves, ancient cities, tea-country landscapes, and wellness traditions already provide a strong foundation, and Sri Lanka has largely solved the problem of attracting visitors. Its next challenge is more difficult: transforming a popular destination into a high-value one. That will require investment in infrastructure, premium tourism products, transport connectivity, destination management, and visitor experiences that encourage travellers to spend more and stay longer,” the inbound operator said.
Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath recently told parliament that the current revenue figures reflect more accurate measurement methodologies rather than a collapse in spending. Referring to this, the hotelier said,” While that may be a technically valid assertion, it does little to mask a far more pressing reality: Sri Lanka is no longer attracting the high-spending travellers it once did. The data, when viewed alongside declining average daily expenditure and stagnant overall earnings, points to a structural shift in the country’s visitor profile, one that favours volume over value. Until Sri Lanka recalibrates its tourism strategy to prioritise quality over quantity, it risks becoming a destination that everyone visits but few truly invest in.”
By Sanath Nanayakkare
Business
MIWAYZ redefines Sri Lankan urban mobility with landmark launch
Miwayz, Sri Lanka’s newest and most anticipated lifestyle and smart mobility platform, has officially announced its grand launch.
Signaling a major shift in the country’s ride-hailing and delivery ecosystem. the platform went live from Sunday, 12th July with an unprecedented milestone: securing a trusted community of 25,000+, eagerly awaiting passengers within an incredibly short pre-launch window.
For Sri Lankan consumers who have long sought greater transparency and safety, and for drivers seeking fair compensation, Miwayz enters the market not just as an app, but as a community-driven answer to modern commuter challenges.
Facing the Realities of the Road: Addressing Driver Pain Points
For years, the backbone of Sri Lanka’s urban transport—its hardworking three-wheeler and motorcycle drivers—has operated under immense financial strain. Traditional ride-hailing industry have long extracted predatory commission rates ranging from 15% to 25% on every single ride, severely squeezing driver take-home pay. Coupled with highly unpredictable daily incomes and skyrocketing vehicle maintenance and fuel costs, drivers have increasingly felt reduced to mere transactional numbers on a screen.
To address these pain points directly, Miwayz has introduced a highly disruptive, driver-centric economic model:
- 0% Commission & Zero Subscription Fees: Registered driver-partners will enjoy 0% commission cuts and zero-value subscription fees for their first three months of operation, allowing them to take home 100% of their hard-earned fares.
- The Industry’s Lowest Flat Subscription: Post-launch promotional period, Miwayz will transition drivers to the industry’s lowest flat rate daily/monthly subscription model, completely eliminating percentage-based commission structures. This ensures predictable operational costs and maximized income stability.
Tapping into a Massive Market
The launch of Miwayz arrives at a critical juncture for Sri Lanka’s massive urban transport market. According to the Western Province Road Passenger Transport Authority (RPTA), there are currently over 250,000 registered three-wheelers operating as active passenger transport services in the Western Province alone.
Furthermore, latest vehicle population statistics from the Department of Motor Traffic (DMT) reveal that Sri Lanka has over 1.20 million motor tricycles (three-wheelers) and more than 5.17 million motorcycles (bikes) registered nationwide.
By positioning itself as a fair-play platform for this immense pool of micro-entrepreneurs, Miwayz is set to capture a dominant share of the daily commuting market, starting in Colombo and rapidly expanding across the province.
A Foundation Built on Mutual Trust
In a market where trust is the ultimate currency, Miwayz’s rapid acquisition of a combined 25,000+ strong pre-registered base represents a significant vote of confidence from local users.
“We did not want to launch with just an app and a hope; we wanted to launch with a community that believed in our vision from day one,” said the CEO of Miwayz, Nalliah Thayaparan. “To have over 25K trusted driver partners and passengers in our ecosystem before our official launch is the ultimate validation. It proves that Sri Lankans are ready for a platform built on mutual respect, honesty, and fair value.”
Going Beyond the Usual: The Miwayz Promise
Miwayz is engineered specifically to address the daily pain points of Sri Lankan commuters and drivers through three core pillars:
- Total Price Transparency & Best Fair Rates: Passengers will benefit from upfront, highly reliable fare estimates with zero hidden costs, unexpected surges, or predatory price hikes. Miwayz guarantees the best, standard distance-to-fare ratios in the market, ensuring complete peace of mind.
- Uncompromising Safety: To protect both riders and driver-partners, Miwayz features strictly verified profiles, real-time live trip tracking, and a dedicated 24/7 localized support team ready to assist at any moment.
- Everyday Convenience & Passenger Perks: Designed as an all-in-one lifestyle companion, the platform integrates seamless ride-hailing options with everyday essentials, including the upcoming rollout of Miwayz Food featuring local culinary favorites. To celebrate the launch, passengers will receive an exclusive 50% discount on their first 5 rides during the first three months of operation.
Strategic Powerhouse Collaboration with Dialog Axiata
To enhance the overall mobility experience for both passengers and driver-partners, MiWayz has entered into a strategic partnership with Dialog Touch, Sri Lanka’s leading fleet and fuel management platform. The collaboration introduces innovative payment and rewards capabilities that deliver greater convenience to riders while creating tangible value for driver-partners.
Through this partnership, Dialog Touch users can now seamlessly use their Touch Card as a payment method within the MiWayz app, enabling a fast, secure, and cashless payment experience for every journey. In addition, MiWayz driver-partners will benefit from fuel vouchers powered through the Dialog Touch platform, a first-of-its-kind rewards initiative introduced by Touch to recognize and support drivers with meaningful savings on fuel expenses.
Long-Term Support Alliance with TVS
To match its digital strength with on-the-ground sustainability, MiWayz has secured a pivotal strategic partnership with TVS. Focused entirely on providing long-term operational support to the platform’s growing driver-partner community, TVS is introducing immediate, tangible cost-saving benefits on the road. Under this landmark alliance, registered MiWayz driver-partners will gain exclusive access to:
- Exclusive Discounts on Spare Parts: Deep cost reductions on essential vehicular components to reduce overall maintenance costs.
- Specialized Vehicle Services: Tailored, high-priority maintenance and repair services at TVS Own Service Centers
- Valuable Vehicle Trade-In Offers: Highly attractive trade-in opportunities allowing drivers to upgrade their vehicles easily and sustainably.
Representing the alliance, Geethal Anthony, CEO – TVS Lanka (Pvt) Ltd remarked, “We are incredibly proud to partner with MiWayz on this journey of sustainable urban empowerment. At TVS, we believe that true market innovation comes from putting tangible value back into the hands of the community. By providing long-term support structures—specifically through exclusive discounts on spare parts, specialized services, and accessible trade-in options—we are ensuring that driver-partners can significantly lower their operational overheads. This partnership sets a new benchmark for shared economic growth and corporate responsibility in Sri Lanka’s mobility landscape.”
Investing Directly in People: The Direct Reinvestment Model
In a progressive move, Miwayz is channeling its core resources directly into the pockets of its users and partners through a long-term Direct Reinvestment Model.
Rather than focusing on short-term market noise, the company is redirecting its operational capital to create sustained, long-term value additions:
- For Driver-Partners: Enhanced welfare programs, sustainable financial incentives, and long-term professional development pathways that elevate their livelihoods alongside TVS’s operational discounts.
- For Passengers: Consistent loyalty rewards, highly competitive daily pricing structures, and community-driven promotions that provide tangible economic relief in their daily travel budgets.
“We believe the best way to grow is not by plastering billboards, but by enriching the lives of the people who use our platform,” the CEO added. “By investing directly in our drivers and passengers, we are building a sustainable, loyal ecosystem that benefits Sri Lanka for the long haul.”
Availability
The Miwayz passenger and driver applications are now officially available for download on the iOS App Store and Google Play Store. Commuters and drivers across Sri Lanka are invited to download the app today to experience mobility and lifestyle convenience their way.
About Miwayz
Miwayz is a next-generation, community-first lifestyle and smart mobility platform based in Sri Lanka. Committed to elevating the urban travel experience, Miwayz combines advanced ride-hailing technology, transparent pricing, robust safety standards, and merchant delivery ecosystems to create a fairer, more efficient way for communities to connect, move, and thrive.


Business
Successful government securities auctions anchor yield curve amid subdued trading
The secondary market yield curve remained broadly stable during the past week as subdued trading activity persisted around the Treasury Bond auction. Meanwhile, weighted average yields at the weekly Treasury Bill auction recorded declines across all tenors, First Capital Research stated in its latest weekly report.
According to the report, secondary market activity opened on a cautious note with selling interest emerging ahead of the T-Bond auction, causing a slight upward adjustment in yields amid moderate trading volumes. As the week progressed, investor participation remained muted, with market participants largely staying on the sidelines in anticipation of the auction, keeping the yield curve broadly unchanged.
Following the successful completion of the bond auction, the market witnessed mixed sentiment, with selling pressure concentrated at the short end and buying interest emerging in longer-dated maturities. However, activity remained subdued, and the yield curve largely held its ground through the weekend.
At the Treasury Bond auction held on July 13, 2026, the Public Debt Management Office (PDMO) successfully raised the full offered amount of LKR 150.0 billion. This comprised LKR 70.0 billion through the 2030 maturity, LKR 50.0 billion through the 2034 maturity, and LKR 30.0 billion through the 2037 maturity, at weighted average yields of 11.57%, 12.04%, and 12.58%, respectively.
Similarly, at the weekly Treasury Bill auction held on July 15, 2026, the PDMO raised the full offered amount of LKR 120.0 billion. The 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month bills raised LKR 55.0 billion, LKR 35.0 billion, and LKR 30.0 billion, respectively. Weighted average yields declined across all tenors, with the 3-month bill easing by 8 basis points (bps) to 10.13%, the 6-month bill by 3 bps to 10.27%, and the 12-month bill by 1 bp to 10.20%.
On the external front, the Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR) depreciated against the US Dollar, closing the week at LKR 336.3/USD compared to LKR 334.7/USD seen previously. Market liquidity within the banking system expanded significantly, starting the week at LKR 125.89 billion and closing higher at LKR 157.19 billion.
Thus the market data may highlight a clear divergence between short-term liquidity comfort and long-term caution, which points toward a gradual steepening of the yield curve in the near term.
The emergence of buying interest in longer-dated maturities (2034 and 2037) shows that institutional investors are eager to lock in double-digit yields while liquidity is high. This institutional support will likely place a temporary ceiling on long-term rates.
The mild depreciation of the rupee (moving to LKR 336.3/USD) acts as a cautionary counter-signal. If the currency continues to face pressure, it could limit how far short-term yields can fall, flattening the curve back out.
Business
CSE sees lack of investor participation, market turnover remains thin
The Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) witnessed a quiet trading session on Friday, with the benchmark All Share Price Index (ASPI) edging marginally lower down by 42.16 points or 0.20% to close at 21,405.41.
Market turnover remained thin, coming in at Rs. 0.72 billion (approximately US$ 2.2 million), reflecting a general lack of investor participation as most sectors encountered downward pressure.
A total of 31.94 million shares changed hands across 13,397 trades, resulting in a negative market breadth where declining counters outpaced gainers 127 to 91. Blue-chip counters Sampath Bank PLC (SAMP), Lanka IOC PLC (LIOC), and John Keells Holdings PLC (JKH) anchored the day’s market turnover, while a notable off-market crossing was recorded in Chevron Lubricants Lanka PLC (LLUB). Trading volume in SAMP alone was highly concentrated, accounting for 12% of the day’s total turnover.
Sector performance remained mixed, with the Banking sector emerging as the most actively traded, posting a modest gain of 0.18%. The Health Care Equipment & Services sector secured the spot as the day’s best performer, rising by 0.55%.
Conversely, the Household & Personal Products sector faced the steepest decline, dropping 1.95% to finish as the worst-performing sector of the day. In terms of individual movements, Blue Diamonds Jewellery Worldwide PLC [Voting] (PINS.N) led the gainers, advancing by 6.11%, while Agstar PLC (AGPL.N) emerged as the top loser, shedding 9.09%.
By Hiran H. Senewiratne
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