Sri Lanka among top 3 summer getaways according to Emirates search data
Daily FT: Sri Lanka is among the top three summer destinations for travel in July and August, according to the latest booking data of Emirates, the world’s biggest international airline.
Emirates reports that Sri Lanka has seen a 32% increase in flight searches as a clear favourite for its rich cultural tapestry, pristine beaches, ‘tea country’ and affordable luxury experiences.
As international travel reaches a fever pitch this summer, Emirates’ latest analysis of global booking data and search patterns reveals where travellers are dreaming of and escaping to in July and August, with a shift towards new cultural experiences and off-the-beaten-track locales.
Flight searches for summer travel have climbed 7% compared to last year, with France leading the charge, experiencing a remarkable 35% increase in outbound travel searches, followed by Ireland, Canada and Saudi Arabia.
Germany and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are also seeing strong momentum, highlighting robust travel intent across key markets.
In 2025, a few breakout stars have emerged as the top summer destinations for Emirates, and they’re largely concentrated in the Far East, Indian Ocean and Europe.
Vietnam has emerged as this summer’s ‘it’ destination, stealing the spotlight with a robust 61% leap in interest, and an uplift in booking demand. Emirates flies to three points in Vietnam with 25 weekly flights.
Close behind, the island nation of Mauritius continues to charm travellers, with searches for flights rising 41% as the second most in-demand destination on the Emirates network this summer. The airline offers two convenient daily flights on its iconic A380s; while Sri Lanka, served by four daily Emirates flights, has seen a 32% increase.
OSL take:
Sri Lanka’s tourism industry is continuing its growth path while attracting more foreign travelers to the country as a must visit tourist destination. The industry has become a key revenue source for the country as well. However, the increasing interest in Sri Lanka among foreign travellers and the expanding tourism concepts to attract more tourists to the country have resulted in the overall expansion of the country’s tourism industry and related sectors as well as the airport and aviation industry to meet the increasing demand. These factors have resulted in an expansion in business/investment opportunities in Sri Lanka’s tourism industry and related sectors like leisure and hospitality as well as in the airport and aviation industry. Given the increasing number of foreign travelers to the country, the expanding business/investment opportunities in these industries and related sectors present a host of lucrative business ventures for foreign businesses/investors. Apart from the overall development porgrammes launched by the relevant industries to further develop infrastructure and supplementary infrastructure facilities to meet the increasing demand posed by increasing foreign travelers to the country, there are many business ventures that are already in place and in need of further expansion. Also, there are many untapped business opportunities covering many fields in the tourism and airport and aviation industries including the value additions in providing a wholesome, memorable experience to foreign visitors to Sri Lanka from the point of arrival to the country. Given all these factors, foreign businesses/investors could explore the host of business/investment opportunities in Sri Lanka’s tourism industry and related sectors as well as in the airport and aviation industry.