Sri Lanka tourism on the rise as peace persists [February 02 2011]

by Katie Naylor

Sri Lanka said it hopes tourism will be on the rise in the next few years as a hard-won peace settles into the area.

The Indian Ocean island nation said the end of its three-decade long war with Tamil Tigers after the defeat of rebels in May 2009 should see a big influx in tourism over the next couple of years. The much-needed jump to the country’s tourism sector could largely benefit the nation’s economy.

Last month, Sri Lanka Tourism (SLT) recorded the arrival of its 600,000th foreign visitor. The SLT said it hopes that 2011 will see 700,000 tourists and by 2016, arrivals could hit as high as 2.5 million.

Minister of Economic Development, Basil Rajapaksa said that the largest investment the country can make in the tourism industry is by keeping peace on the island. He adds that if there is no peace, then there will be no tourists.

Yet, Rajapaksa cautions that the government will retain a minimalist approach to intervening in tourism, aside from its role as a facilitator, and let the industry emerge and develop on its own. Sri Lanka’s natural beauty has been overshadowed by its war-torn history, but it boasts the world’s best beaches, wildlife sanctuaries and heritage sites. Furthermore, it has some of the planet’s most unique ecosystems.

Rajapaska said that the island has been blessed with beaches, exotic wildlife and waterfalls and that the nation has a hard-earned reputation for their hospitality.

Currently, India and the UK are the largest markets for tourism in Sri Lanka. The UK has some of the biggest arrival numbers and authorities say that most UK tourists tend to stay the longest on the island.

- Voucher News