UK’s most discerning monthly fashion and lifestyle magazine “HELLO” has
named Sri Lanka as one of the top five destinations to visit in year
2012 in their latest issue published last week. Sri Lanka has secured
second place among the top five list selected by the magazine being
second only to Thailand. The travel experts of the magazine have
highlighted that Sri Lanka is becoming one of the most sought after new
holiday destinations in the world for the travelers who seek a mix of
exotics and excitement.
Raving the richness of Sri Lanka’s diverse landscape, the magazine comments:
“ For an eclectic mix of exotic wildlife, culture and scenery - delve no deeper than the spiritual island of Sri Lanka. Don't miss the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage that is home to over sixty elephants, or the ancient ruins of Polonnaruwa, boasting over thirty shrines and beautifully preserved buildings. Following a trip to Colombo's treasure trove markets, you can unwind on the heavenly stretch of Unawatuna Beach. Palm trees tower over the silk-like sand and the aqua sea breaks rhythmically as you relax with a cocktail or traditional Sri Lankan tea from the hillside plantations...”
Among the other countries on the top 05 list chosen by the magazine are Croatia,The Republic of Maldives and Sardinia -the the second largest island in the Mediterranean after Sicily.
With its futuristic vision on the tourism industry,The government of Sri Lanka aims to attract 950,000 tourists to the country during year 2012. The revenue generated by the tourism industry is expected to surpass US$ 1 billion within the next year. During the next 5 year period the country targets to attract US$ 3,000 million worth Foreign Direct investment (FDI) from tourism sector most of which will be invested in tourism infrastructure development.
There will be an increase in the foreign exchange earnings from US$ 500 million in 2010 to USD 2.75 billion by the year 2016. A huge increase is expected in the tourism related employment from 125,000 in 2010 to 500,000 by 2016 and expansion of tourism based industry and related servicesIsland wide. With these strategies in place, the tourism industry of Sri Lanka is poised for growth being in line with the national effort of making Sri Lanka, the emerging Wonder of Asia.
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