SL among world’s top five destinations to travel in 2012
The world’s leading and most discerning and trusted monthly travel magazine in Britain \'Condé Nast Traveller has nominated Sri Lanka as one of the top five destinations to watch in year 2012. The travel experts of the magazine have predicted that Sri Lanka will be among the hottest new holiday destinations for travellers in the coming year.
[Views:249] [Sun, Jan 01, 2012] [Full Article]

22.2% surge in tourist arrivals - Lakshman Yapa
Deputy Economic Development Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena says Sri Lanka, which welcomed its 750,000th tourist on Nov. 24, is expected to complete 800,000 tourist arrivals before December 31.
[Views:242] [Sat, Dec 10, 2011] [Full Article]

Sri Lanka welcomes 750,000th tourist for 2011
Sri Lanka Tourism welcomes the 750,000th tourist for 2011 a short while agothus recodring the highest amount of arrivals ever in history, Sri Lanka Tourism stated.
[Views:392] [Fri, Nov 25, 2011] [Full Article]

Second Shangri-La Hotel in Hambantota
A second five-star Shangri-La Hotel is coming up in Hambantota at a cost of US$120 million or Rs.13 billion in a chain of hotel projects that have been approved by the government, Economic Development Deputy Minister Lakashman Yapa Abeywardana said today.
[Views:266] [Wed, Oct 05, 2011] [Full Article]

Sri Lanka to woo 2.5 million tourists by 2016
Sri Lanka on Monday set an ambitious target of attracting 2.5 million foreign holiday-makers in the next five years, as the island nation emerges from decades of war.
[Views:441] [Wed, Sep 07, 2011] [Full Article]

Couple in Maldives feared drowned
A Japanese couple who disappeared Tuesday while staying at a resort hotel in the Maldives may have drowned, the Japanese Embassy in Sri Lanka said Sunday.
[Views:499] [Wed, Aug 24, 2011] [Full Article]

Lanka to woo 42,000 tourists from Gulf
Minister of Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa has called on the UAE public and private sectors to invest in joint tourism ventures with Sri Lanka.
[Views:418] [Thu, Aug 18, 2011] [Full Article]

Indians top tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka
Figures released by Sri Lanka’s Tourism Authority showed that 68,830 Indians visited Sri Lanka between January and May this year, up 54.5 per cent over the same period last year.
[Views:528] [Fri, Jul 15, 2011] [Full Article]

Massive development in Anuradhapura
Massive development projects have been planned in the Anuradhapura District simultaneously to the "Deyata Kirula" exhibition, said Chairman of the Exhibition Committee, Minister Ranjith.
[Views:718] [Thu, Jul 14, 2011] [Full Article]

Govt. leasing 22 reservoirs for tourist boat rides
The JVP warns of a severe breakdown in the water supply to paddy fields as the government prepares to lease out 22 reservoirs in the country to companies for tourism development.
[Views:487] [Tue, Jul 12, 2011] [Full Article]

Indians top tourist arrivals
Figures released by Sri Lanka's Tourism Authority showed that 68,830 Indians visited Sri Lanka between January and May this year, up 54.5 percent over the same period last year, Xinhua reports.
[Views:469] [Sun, Jun 12, 2011] [Full Article]

Visa on arrival for Indians scrapped
Sri Lanka on Thursday withdrew the on-arrival free visa facility for Indian tourists. It means that Indians planning a trip to Sri Lanka after August should apply for their visas online for a fee or visit Lankan missions with an application. The new system will be implemented within 80 days, WA Chulananda Perera, Immigration and Emigration Controller General, told the Hindustan Times.
[Views:644] [Fri, May 27, 2011] [Full Article]

FERRY TO INDIA ‘DELAYED’ AGAIN
Ferry services between South India and Sri Lanka will not be resumed on Tuesday as planned. The ferry that sailed between Tutucorin and Colombo was suspended decades ago due to the war in Sri Lanka.
[Views:672] [Wed, May 11, 2011] [Full Article]

TOURISM INCREASES FOREIGN EXCHANGE EARNINGS
Foreign exchange earnings coming from tourism increased to an unprecedented level of Rs. 56.24 billion, thus registering an increase of 49.9 % as compared to Rs. 37.51 billion recorded in the previous year, stated the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority.
[Views:660] [Mon, Apr 04, 2011] [Full Article]

SL to benefit from eased visa rules
The Justice Ministry will ease visa regulations for South Asian visitors, who have become a major group for the Korean tourist industry, according to officials Tuesday.
[Views:634] [Tue, Mar 29, 2011] [Full Article]

SRI LANKA WANTS CZECH TOURISTS, DIRECT FLIGHTS FROM PRAGUE
Sri Lanka is interested in the resumption of direct flights from Prague and it wants to attract Czech tourists, Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Gamini Lakshman Peiris said after a meeting with his Czech counterpart Karel Schwarzenberg.
[Views:626] [Tue, Mar 29, 2011] [Full Article]

Chinese delegation meets PM
Chinese National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee Vice Chairman Hu Jianmin and a team met Prime Minister D M Jayaratne at the Parliamentary Complex Tuesday evening.
[Views:634] [Thu, Mar 24, 2011] [Full Article]

Two islands leased out
Two islands near Kalpitiya have been leased out at Rs. 18 million to two foreign companies for investment in tourism for 30 years, Parliament was informed today.
[Views:567] [Wed, Mar 23, 2011] [Full Article]

‘Sri Lanka - the Wonder of Asia’ enchants Beijing
First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa speaking at the ‘Sri Lanka - the Wonder of Asia’ cultural evening organized in Beijing, said that cultural interactions provided a perfect setting to develop peace, harmony and friendship between countries and also through this concert and it was Sri Lanka’s intention to present to the people of Beijing a glimpse of the rich and diverse cultural traditions of Sri Lanka.
[Views:650] [Fri, Mar 18, 2011] [Full Article]

FRENCH BUSINESS DELEGATION ON TWO DAY VISIT TO SRI LANKA
The Embassy of France in Sri Lanka and the Economic Department of the French Embassy in New Delhi have taken the initiative to encourage French companies based in India to join an official and business mission in Sri Lanka.
[Views:728] [Thu, Mar 17, 2011] [Full Article]