Sri Lanka reports sharp rise in UK tourists
UK visitor numbers to Sri Lanka have swelled by an incredible 51% in July 2010 compared with the same period in 2009, according to the latest figures released by the Sri Lanka tourism promotion board.
The country’s tourist board says the change in the British Home Office Travel Advice, lifting all travel restrictions to the country, and also the UNESCO’s decision to add an eighth Sri Lankan wonder to its list of World Heritage Sites has helped to boost visitor numbers.
Sri Lanka has everything to offer the British tourist, with superb beaches and cheap but classy beach hotels a plenty, and with easy options to tour the island and discover her awesome wildlife or cultural heritage, Sri Lanka presents a perfect paradise for the traveller looking for peace, tranquillity and a tropical holiday in sheer breathtaking beauty. The island is truly a gem of a destination, and has attracted visitors to her shores since the dawn of time.
After the end of the 30 year civil war last May (2009), the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office has lifted all travel restrictions to Sri Lanka, deeming it safe for UK tourists to explore the whole country.
The lifting of the travel restrictions comes at a time when Sri Lanka’s Tourism Promotion Bureau is keen to encourage visitors to the newly re-opened areas on the eastern shores of the country, with remote and unspoilt beaches such as Arugam Bay, Nilaweli, Pasikuda, Kalkuda and Trincomalee, and a superb array of wildlife at Yala National Park on the south-eastern shores, many feel that Sri Lanka is well set to become Asia’s next big destination.
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