China is now the second largest source of tourists to Sri Lanka after India at 79,098 visitors in the first five months, up 80 percent from a year earlier.

South Asian tourists increased 28 percent to 33,141.

Visitors from Maldives were up 11 percent to 6,705 and Bangladesh was up 17.9 percent to 1,013 while Pakistani arrivals were down 8.1 percent to 2,586.

Western European arrivals rose 25 percent to 24,497 with UK tourists up 15 percent to 7,954 and Germany up 41 percent to 6,265.

In the five months to May, arrivals were up 14.5 percent to 714.584.