Challenges of tourism industry in Sri Lanka

Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes.
The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel to and stay in places outside their usual environment for more than twenty-four (24) hours and not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes not related to the exercise of an activity remunerated from within the place visited".

Tourism has become a popular global leisure activity.

If you want to stay comfortable and for a reasonablt price, it's better to book accomodation before. For example you find a nice selectionf of  Guesthouses in Unawatuna at Lanka-Houses.com website.

In 2008, there were over 922 million international tourist arrivals, with a growth of 1.9 percent as compared to 2007. International tourism receipts grew to US$ 944 billion (Euro 642 billion) in 2008, corresponding to an increase in real terms of 1.8 percent.
As a result of the late-2000s recession, international travel demand suffered a strong slow down beginning in June 2008, with growth in international tourism arrivals worldwide falling to 2 percent during the boreal summer months.
This negative trend intensified during 2009, exacerbated in some countries due to the outbreak of the H1N1 influenza virus, resulting in a worldwide decline of 4 percent in 2009 to 880 million international tourists' arrivals, and an estimated 6 percent decline in international tourism receipts.
The World Tourism rankings are compiled by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) as part of their World Tourism Barometer publication. In the publication World tourism is ranked both by number of visits and by tourism revenue generated.
The top international destinations in 2009 are:
Out of a global total of 903 million tourists in 2007, there are the 58 most visited, as of June 2008. It is ironic to note that Sri Lanka is not among the 58 most visited countries while recently rejuvenated Vietnam possesses the 46th rank.
The situation demands pragmatic approach to uplift the tourist industry in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka is an island country in South Asia, located about 31 kilometers (19.3 mi) off the southern coast of India, a nation with which it shares a common culture, language and religion. Historically, Sri Lanka has been known by many names.
The existence of the island has been known to the Indic, Chinese, Arabic, and Western civilizations for many millennia and the various names ascribed to the island over time reflect this and a whole host of international travellers had visited and written incredible details of this tiny island.
Tourism is inherently based on curiosity and interests of the individual. Tourist attractions are varied and multifaceted which are also basically dependent on the comprehension and the attitude of the respective individual.
There are countries which are attracted by its natural beauty, some are for its historical value and some are gleaned with leisure opportunities and so on, which construed that tourism, essentially, based on purpose of travel.
Purpose of travel could be broadly categorized into following segments.
Pleasure, education, pilgrimage, archaeological sites, cultural heritage, sports, world renowned heritages, business and family visits.
If considered in the above terms of major tourist attractions, potentiality of a country, could be limited to few segments in most cases.

Source: Sri Lanka tourism

In view of the purpose of travel, which generates tourism, Sri Lanka stands a highly favourable and advantageous position among the other countries as it could be boasting of almost all of these attractions which have been naturally and physically bestowed on our country.
The most dynamic questions automatically posed at this very juncture, are that, have we fully taken hold of this natural phenomenon and provided potentiality in its full force.
Have we fully utilized and exploited these potentials? This situation could be dramatically illustrated by the fact that certain countries that attract lot of tourists and presently play a foremost role in the tourism industry, could merely be boast of their natural beaches and they have fully utilized its incidental features energetically and that they have managed to exploit the limited resources to the hilt.
A burgeoning fact that attracts many tourists into these countries, based on solely gained reputations.
If cogently planned and masterfully guided tourism could definitely be the chosen foreign currency earner for Sri Lanka along with garment industry, foreign remittances and traditional exports. One need only to lucidly understand the coherence of the entire scenario.
We have to fully understand and utilize the full potential of cogency, power, potency, conviction, strength and force of Sri Lanka tourism. With the dawn of peace, as always envisioned, it is the optimistic onus of the authorities to enhance tourism in its full potential.

Sri Lanka is strategically located in a most favourable naval and aerial spot on the world map. As a result of its location in the path of major sea routes and aerial routes, Sri Lanka is a strategic naval link between West Asia and South East Asia and a strategic air link between West Asia, Africa and East Asia and Oceania.
It has also been a centre of the Buddhist religion and culture from ancient times and is one of the few remaining abodes of Buddhism in South Asia with a highly acclaimed cultural heritage.
The country is famous for the production and export of tea, coffee, coconuts, rubber and cinnamon. The natural beauty of Sri Lanka's tropical forests, beaches and landscape, as well as its rich cultural heritage, make it a world famous tourist destination.

Real Estate in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka becaming more and more popular for tourist, and after sating in Sri Lanka couple of times, some people start thinking about buying property here. Beach land, or in paddy fields. Mountain area or lake side. Some people goes further and start looking for a tea, cinnamon or rice plantations. Any way, we can 100% be sure, that investing your money in Sri Lanka, is really worth it !

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Investments in Sri Lanka

Now it's a really good time to start make investments in Sri Lanka. Powerful president - Mahinda Radjapaksa and his team doing the right things to make Sri Lanka the real paradise for billions of tourist.
It's really good time to buy land in Tangalle and Dikwella. Because of new high way road, which will connect the Colombo and the deep south. Plus new harbor and new airport on the south. All this things gives us rights to be 100% sure - that deep south region is really good.

Where to find usefull information abotu Sri Lanka

Every time, when you trying to find any information about new country you are looking for a forum, where experts can answer your questions. I can suggest you the official forum of Lanka-Houses.com website
We are living in Sri Lanka and we know lot of things about this beautiful island. If you only planing your first trip to Sri lanka we can help you to arrange a rountrip, book a nice villa, house, hotel or guest house. We are happy to help you, because we know, how hungry you are for any usefull information about Sri Lanka. Feel free to ask your questions.

How to find a Guesthouse in Sri Lanka

Better way to find a good guest house is to search for a special web sites that offers you searching and reservations on line. You can also try to use google, to find each guesthouse web site by your own. But you will not be very successful. The reson is quite simple, guest house owners no so good in Internet and home page creation. As a result you will find only a top of the iceberg. I can offer you to search for a guesthouse at Lanka Houses website. This guys travel arounf Sri Lanka, make photos and somtimes videos, and publish everything on the net. You can search throw many offers to find the best one that suite you. Powerfull search function, gives you the ability to get a guest house or a house of your dream for a really competitive price.

More of that, you can make a reservation also. All you need is to pay a 10% from the price and you will get a reservation numer. Simply print it and show omn arrival. You room(s) will wait for you. You can also request an airport transfer service. More information is also available at their website

Return to Sri Lanka - tourism boss begs British tourists

Today, the head of Sri Lanka's tourism industry in Britain presents his own view. Let us know what you think below:

"It is always challenging when politics and tourism become intertwined. For the past 10 years tourists have been coming to Sri Lanka despite the breakdown of the ceasefire, terrorist activity and the continued civil war.

Following the devastation of the Tsunami to Sri Lanka's Tourism Industry, British aid and support helped to rebuild the industry.

Tourism is the lifeline of Sri Lanka's economy, it has and will even more in the future affect every member of the Sri Lankan community and their ability to rebuild their lives. The government has plans to develop the Northern areas as a priority to attract new tourism products and visitors into this part of the country and with it income for the local population.

By recommending that the largest producer of tourists to the country boycotts future holidays in Sri Lanka will only make the lives of the displaced community, the local tourism industry and the population in general harder to rebuild.

After the Tsunami the Sri Lanka Tourism, Industry strove to rebuild its infrastructure and business successfully with the assistance of the British Travel Trade despite the civil unrest in the North of the country.

Now at last Sri Lanka can offer a completely peaceful, terrorist free option and tourists will know that their money is contributing to the rebuilding of the community as a whole.

On behalf of Sri Lanka's Tourism industry I would like to thank our British tourists for their support over the past years. With peace comes hope for a revitalised tourism product and they will be able to return to explore even more of our beautiful country.

Some of the island's most beautiful beaches will once more be accessible in the east such as Passikudah and Trincomalee, while Arugam Bay is famous as one of the most prominent surfing destinations in the world. Yala National Park, home to leopard and elephant, will also be reopened to tourists.

As part of Sri Lanka Tourism's new strategy there will be several annual events organised over the next year including the Hikkaduwa Beach Fest in July, the Jazz Festival in October, Negombo Beach Fest in December and the Tea Festival scheduled for next year.

With the 2 for 1 holiday deals still in the market for all bookings during June for travel up to the end of October, now is the time to come to Sri Lanka, enjoy our warm welcome and be part of a peaceful future."

Sri Lanka Aims to Increase Tourist Arrivals by 20% as War Ends

June 4 (Bloomberg) — Sri Lanka aims to increase tourist arrivals by at least 20 percent each year, using a $20 million worldwide advertising campaign to promote the island's attractions after the end of almost three decades of civil war.

"The main task we have is that of image building," Dileep Mudadeniya, managing director of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau said in an interview in the capital Colombo. "We have an image that has been challenged by war and travel advisories."

The Indian Ocean nation, with picturesque hill-top tea plantations and a 2,500 kilometer (1,553 mile) coastline dotted with white sandy beaches, is relying on tourism to boost employment and foreign exchange. Still, television footage of thousands of refugees uprooted by war will make it harder for Sri Lanka to lure visitors away from other popular holiday spots like Malaysia, the Seychelles, Madagascar, and Mexico.

"There is still this dark cloud, this debate and issue regarding the displaced people," said Jerome Auvity, general manager at Hilton Colombo. "Give it another six months to see whether confidence returns to Sri Lanka's leisure market."

The Sri Lankan army, which has been fighting against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam since 1983, defeated the rebels last month and ended their quest for a separate homeland.

The final battles have left about 300,000 people displaced and living in more than 40 camps across the northern part of the country. The government said last month it intends to resettle them in the region within 180 days.

Occupancy Rates

The war discouraged travelers from the U.S. and Europe for years from visiting the teardrop-shaped tropical island.

Occupancy rates have been 40 percent in the past two years in Colombo's five-star hotels, which have a combined capacity of 2,000 rooms, said Auvity. As a result, the average room tariff has remained about $62 a night and has made doing business "not very successful", he said.

Changing perceptions about Sri Lanka, known as Ceylon before 1972, is vital to boost the nation's foreign-exchange reserves, which more than halved in the six months from September to $1.3 billion amid the global recession. That forced President Mahinda Rajapaksa's government to turn to the International Monetary Fund in March for a bailout.

Located about 31 kilometers off the southern coast of India, Sri Lanka earns about $325 million in foreign exchange from tourism each year. That makes it the fourth-biggest contributor to the nation's reserves coffer after exports of tea, garments and marine products.

"Tourism has the potential to get four times that in earnings," Mudadeniya said in the June 2 interview.

'Small Miracle'

In the nation of 20 million people with an unemployment rate of 5.2 percent, tourism can also create jobs "ranging from a gardener to a doorman to a chef to a general manager of a hotel," Mudadeniya said. "There are very few industries that have the potential to offer such a variety of employment to skilled and unskilled staff."

Mudadeniya aims to increase the 500,000 tourists Sri Lanka receives each year by at least 20 percent through a campaign entitled "Sri Lanka: Small Miracle," to run on international television, radio, print and other media from June 23.

Tourism already makes up 2.5 percent of the nation's $32 billion economy and the government wants to raise it to 8 percent of gross domestic product within five years, according to the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka.

The government is converting about 20 islands located near the north of Colombo airport into hotel complexes to add room capacity. Many areas in the east coast, which was once a strong- hold of the Tamil Tiger rebels, have also been designated as tourism areas for the development of hotels, Mudadeniya said.

Ancient Times

Sri Lanka has been a center of the Buddhist religion since ancient times. The Tamils, concentrated in the north and east of the island, form the largest ethnic minority.

After almost two thousand years of rule by local kingdoms, Sri Lanka was colonized by the Portuguese and the Dutch in the 16th century. They gave control of the island to the British in 1815. The country became independent in 1948.

"Sri Lanka has a lot of diversity that can be visited within three to five hours — from a 2,500-year-old culture to wildlife to beaches," said Mudadeniya. "We can give a complete experience."