If golden beaches, rising waves, misty mountains, mighty elephants, stealthy leopards, giant whales, a majestic past, lovely tea and warm smiles could sum up a country, it would be Sri Lanka.
It’s no wonder that Marco Polo said it was “Undoubtedly the finest island of its size in the world”
Travel destinations in Sri Lanka provide an array of holiday experience from sun kissed beach holidays to a wildlife watching, adrenaline pumping adventure sports and pilgrimages to some of the oldest cities in the world which have over 2550 years of History. Its spicy food, exotic fruits and array of sweetmeats are found nowhere in the world. With so many cultures living next to each other, life in Sri Lanka continues among a series of festivities throughout the year, an ideal recipe for fun and leisure.
Sri Lanka is recognised as one of the 34 world biodiversity hot spots in the world. There are nearly 16% of the animals and 23% of plants that are found endemic to the country and birds are the wonder of Sri Lankan wildlife. Sri Lanka has the highest amphibian species density in the world with a high concentration in the Sinharaja rainforest, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Around 13% of Sri Lanka conserved as national parks, reserves, sanctuaries and jungle corridors. Safari in the 14 national wildlife parks offers the chance to see some of Sri Lanka’s 91 mammals.
With a history expanding over 2550 years, Sri Lanka holds some of the world’s significant ancient cities. Sri Lanka’s cultural depth is recognized by UNESCO, which has declared six archaeological World Heritage Sites in the country enriched with ancient engineering marvels including enormous dagobas and remains of ancient buildings in the ruined cities of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa. Awesome stairway to the temple at Dambulla and the sensual frescoes at the rock of Sigiriya exhibits the talents of historic artists in Sri Lanka.
Global Recognitions
Sri Lanka was endorsed by many global media brands as one of the best destinations to visit.
With the launch of National Tourism Strategy 2020, Sri Lanka Tourism is focussed to be Sri Lanka’s second biggest net foreign exchange earner with a target of US$ 5.5 billion earned in 2020. Also, Tourism and its supporting industries to employ 600,000 Sri Lankans with women accounting for 10% of the workforce is planned. Also, this strategy drives towards an increase of the daily spend per tourist to US$ 210.
While concentrating on a new vision “To be recognised as the world’s finest island for memorable, authentic and diverse experiences” Sri Lanka Tourism work towards a definite mission “To be a high value destination offering extraordinary experiences that reflect Sri Lanka’s natural and cultural heritage; are socially inclusive and environmentally responsible; and drive economic benefits to communities and the country” in 2020.
Guidelines for Travellers https://immigration.gov.lk/web/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=373&Itemid=196&lang=en