Sri Lanka which is the finest island in the whole world as endorsed by the famous explorer Marco Polo of the 12th Century had been a great tourism destination for centuries particularly for European Travellers. However the 30 year long internal conflict and terrorism had a negative impact of Tourism and the growth of the industry got stagnated. But after the end of the conflict in 2009 the country’s tourism prospects look promising. In 2010 immediately after the end of the war Sri Lanka had a growth of 46% in Tourism arrivals. From 2009 to 2011 the Tourism arrivals got doubled with the number of arrivals reaching 855,975 as at end 2011. In 2012, post office worldwide holiday costs barometer named Sri Lanka as the best valued destination for holidays
Sri Lankan Government has identified tourism as a vital area in the policy framework of defines by his excellences the president Mahinda Rajapaksha. It has been identified as capable of effectively driving the country's socio economic development. The program's vision for the tourism sector is to make Sri Lanka the foremost leisure destination in the South Asian Region. The program believes the human resources and natural and cultural endowments values and ethos will be fundamental in transforming Sri Lanka into a centre of excellence and offer tourists the highest values of authentic experiences in its unique setting. The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) is committed towards transforming Sri Lanka to be Asia’s foremost tourism destination. The SLTDA will strive to develop diverse, unique and quality tourism services and products that would make Sri Lanka as a unique destination, globally.
Sri Lanka has three advantages to be positioned as one of best Tourism destinations in the world firstly it is a genuine Tourism destination, Secondly it is a compact island of 65,610 sqkm where a tourist can travel the length and breadth of the country within a few days, thirdly the diversity of the tourism product is unparalleled. For the purpose of communicating the diversity of Sri Lanka in 2010 the tourism authorities started positioning the country around 8 different products namely; beaches, heritage, wildlife, scenic beauty, mind and body wellness, festivals, sports and adventure and Essence. The Essence of Sri Lanka include what is unique to the country such as its people, art and culture, spices, tea, gems, handy crafts etc.
The year 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami and the past civil war have reduced tourist arrivals but Sri Lanka received over half a million tourists in 2006. The International media reports published about the improvements in industry of January 2008 by 0.6%, March 2008 by 8.6% when comparing to last year's 2007 figures. It was reported that in the year 2011, total revenue from the tourists arrival to the country is $830.3 million from 850,000 tourists inflow. Further, the tourism board expects over 1 million tourists in 2012 with revenue of more than $1 billion. The number of arrivals from the Meetings, incentives, conferencing, exhibitions (MICE) sector is also growing, in particular from India. The Sri Lanka Convention Bureau is targeting a 20% growth rate for MICE arrivals from India.
Being an island Sri Lanka is surrounded by sea and a perfect destination for a beach holiday. When the seas are rough on one side of the island it is calm waters on the other side. So it is a year round beach destination.
Sri Lankan Government has identified tourism as a vital area in the policy framework of defines by his excellences the president Mahinda Rajapaksha. It has been identified as capable of effectively driving the country's socio economic development. The program's vision for the tourism sector is to make Sri Lanka the foremost leisure destination in the South Asian Region. The program believes the human resources and natural and cultural endowments values and ethos will be fundamental in transforming Sri Lanka into a centre of excellence and offer tourists the highest values of authentic experiences in its unique setting. The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) is committed towards transforming Sri Lanka to be Asia’s foremost tourism destination. The SLTDA will strive to develop diverse, unique and quality tourism services and products that would make Sri Lanka as a unique destination, globally.
Sri Lanka has three advantages to be positioned as one of best Tourism destinations in the world firstly it is a genuine Tourism destination, Secondly it is a compact island of 65,610 sqkm where a tourist can travel the length and breadth of the country within a few days, thirdly the diversity of the tourism product is unparalleled. For the purpose of communicating the diversity of Sri Lanka in 2010 the tourism authorities started positioning the country around 8 different products namely; beaches, heritage, wildlife, scenic beauty, mind and body wellness, festivals, sports and adventure and Essence. The Essence of Sri Lanka include what is unique to the country such as its people, art and culture, spices, tea, gems, handy crafts etc.
The year 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami and the past civil war have reduced tourist arrivals but Sri Lanka received over half a million tourists in 2006. The International media reports published about the improvements in industry of January 2008 by 0.6%, March 2008 by 8.6% when comparing to last year's 2007 figures. It was reported that in the year 2011, total revenue from the tourists arrival to the country is $830.3 million from 850,000 tourists inflow. Further, the tourism board expects over 1 million tourists in 2012 with revenue of more than $1 billion. The number of arrivals from the Meetings, incentives, conferencing, exhibitions (MICE) sector is also growing, in particular from India. The Sri Lanka Convention Bureau is targeting a 20% growth rate for MICE arrivals from India.
Being an island Sri Lanka is surrounded by sea and a perfect destination for a beach holiday. When the seas are rough on one side of the island it is calm waters on the other side. So it is a year round beach destination.
Sri Lanka has a rich heritage with a recorded history of more than 2500 years . There are 8 world heritage sites within the country which include; the hill capital kandy, the sacred city of Anuradapura, The Dutch fort of Galle, The ancient city of Polonnaruwa, The rock fortress of Sigiriya, The golden rock temple of Dambulla, the beautiful Horton plains and the Singharaja rain forest. Apart from these famous sites there are hundreds of heritage sites in the island which are frequently visited by tourists.
Sri Lanka is a country with high biodiversity and home for a wide variety of mammals, birds, fish, butterflies and snakes. Three big five of Sri Lankan wildlife are the elephant, the leopard, the sloth bear, the blue whale and the sperm whale.
Due to varying climate conditions and geography Sri Lanka is an ideal destination for sports tourism. Some of the popular sports include golf, surfing, Diving & Snorkeling, Hot Air Ballooning, Rafting and Canoeing, Scuba Diving, fishing, Cycling, Hiking, Trekking and Rock Climbing.
Sri Lanka is also famous for traditional Audrveda hospitals and spas, yoga training and a large number of meditation centers.
Sri Lanka is very rich with scenic beauty and has some beautiful waterfalls and two main botanical gardens. Sri Lanka has always maintained religious harmony among communities where people practice four main religions in thr country. With Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism and Christianity playing imports roles of lives of people Sri Lanka has religious or cultural festivals throughout the year.
