Sri Lanka is popularly known as the `Pearl of the Indian Ocean’. However, when the three decades of war devastated the island, renowned foreign columnists described the Island nation as the `teardrop’ of the Indian Ocean.

Despite an encouraging trend in the arrival of tourists in the island in recent years, some unscrupulous visitors under the guise of tourists, are also arriving. Their influx has thrown a big challenge to the law and order in the island as well as to the social system of the country.

While drug traffickers, pedophiles and prostitutes are infiltrating the Island, a group of Israelis were found to be linked to drug trafficking and various illegal activities in the Eastern Province and some of them have been taken into custody by law enforcement officials.  

Arugam Bay in the Eastern Province has long been identified as an internationally popular surfing paradise. Tourists engaged in drug dealings and other form of anti-social activities are found to be centered in popular tourist hotspots such as Arugam Bay, Ulla, Komari, and Panama in the Pottuvil division of the Ampara district.

According to tourism circles, unscrupulous foreign nationals, including Israelis, are running nightclubs and guest houses through local proxies, even allegedly bribing relevant officials in the areas they operate in.

The unlawful operations are carried out in connivance with their Lankan partners to divert from their underhand activities and to escape from the legal procedures meant for foreigners to engage in businesses in the island.

Narcotics are being trafficked at these places, often marketed through closed social media groups like WhatsApp and Facebook, creating covert and hard-to-trace networks. The income generated from these illegal operations is reportedly sent abroad through informal money transfer methods.

Similar patterns have been reported in other tourist-heavy areas such as Weligama and Unawatuna in the South where foreign nationals are allegedly involved in illegal business activities, including operating unauthorized guest houses for prostitution and pedophile activities.

Tourism officials and security agencies are now urging a coordinated crackdown on these unauthorized operations, while calling for enhanced vigilance to curb the foreign culprits.

In the meantime Sri Lanka’s tourism sector continues its upward momentum in 2025, welcoming 722,276 visitors in the first quarter of the year, surpassing the industry’s best year of 2018. However, the figure falls short of the all-time high of 740,600 recorded in Q1 2019.

The month of March 2025 alone saw 229,298 tourist arrivals, reflecting a 10% year-on-year growth and contributing to a 14% year-on year increase in year-to-date.

Despite the positive trajectory, March fell short of its ambitious monthly target of 302,803 arrivals, missing the goal by 73,505 visitors. The total also trailed 2018’s March benchmark by a slight margin of 4,084 tourists.

March witnessed fluctuating weekly arrivals. While YoY daily arrivals increased from 6,748 in March 2024 to 7,397 in March 2025, a month-on-month decline from 8,579 in February 2025 to 7,397 in March suggests potential challenges in sustaining consistent growth.

India continues to be Sri Lanka’s top source market in 2025, contributing 118,315 visitors. Russia follows with 93,568 arrivals, while the United Kingdom secured third place with 69,705 travelers.

In March alone, India accounted for 39,212 tourists, Russia 29,177, and the UK 22,447.