Tourism in Sri Lanka

The government is attempting to attract foreign investment in the country's tourism industry, which began in earnest after the end of the Sri Lankan Civil War in 2009.

Since then the Ceylon Tourist Board has functioned as the state agency, responsible for the development and promotion of the tourism sector in Sri Lanka.

[8] The Sri Lankan minister of Tourism Development John Amaratunga indicated that ferry service will help tourists from both sides to travel at a very low cost.

[12] The main destinations of domestic tourists are Anuradhapura, Kataragama, Nuwara Eliya, Kandy, Sri Pada, Polonnaruwa, Sigiriya and Dambulla.

Sri Lanka reopened for tourism in January 2021 under a health protocol involving pre-flight and post-arrival tests for Coronavirus.

[14] Tourists could visit a series of designated locations under 'bio bubble' concept avoiding contact with locals and stay at a number of certified hotels.

[16] Prior to the official opening, a controversy erupted over tourists brought from Ukraine by a former Ambassador to Russia, where health protocols were breached.

[17] The first tourists after the COVID-19 closure arrived in Ukraine's SkyUp Airlines at Mattala Airport on December 28 as part of the so-called pilot project.

Forbes ranked Sri Lanka as one of top wildlife safaris outside of Africa,[28] due to the actual presence of five charismatic megafauna (The Big Five) and the relative ease of seeing them during a single tour itinerary.

Wildlife photographer and author Gehan de Silva Wijeyeratne has shown that Sri Lanka is the best place in the world to spot Blue whales.

A narrow continental shelf off Mirissa, Sri Lanka allows Blue and Sperm whales to swim close to the shore.

[30] Seasonally, the largest gathering of Asian elephants numbering 200-300 or higher takes place at the Minneriya National Park.

National parks Adam's Bridge · Angammedilla · Bundala · Chundikkulam · Delft · Flood Plains · Gal Oya · Galway's Land · Hikkaduwa · Horagolla ·  · Horton Plains · Kaudulla · Kumana · Lahugala Kitulana · Lunugamvehera · Madhu Road · Maduru Oya · Minneriya · Pigeon Island · Somawathiya · Udawalawe · Ussangoda · Wasgamuwa · Wilpattu · Yala Sri Lanka possesses nearly 1,600 km (994 mi) coastlines with tropical beaches which are popular among both local and foreign tourists.

Marine recreation activities, such as sea bathing and swimming, surfing, boating, snorkelling, deep-sea fishing, underwater photography, and scuba diving, can be seen at most of these beaches and related resort areas.

[36] Related attractions Hummanaya · Stilt fishing Sri Lanka has numerous tourist attractions with areas of natural scenic beauty, primarily including mountainous terrains, agricultural landscapes, waterfalls, places with diverse climatic conditions, reservoirs (wewas), and rivers.

[40] Sri Lanka's location at the tip of the Indian subcontinent has made the island a termination point in the north–south bird migratory route.

[42] As part of their educational programmes, Field Ornithology Group has published many books and posters, not only on birds but also mammals and wetlands.

Sri Lanka is very rich in pre-historic, proto-historic, and historic monuments, which bespeak its ancient civilization and culture.

Anuradhapura, Temple of the Tooth, Adam's Peak, Shrine of Our Lady of Madhu and Kataragama, are a few famous religious sites on the island that attract a large number of tourists.

The foot pilgrimage called Pada Yatra, which is one of Sri Lanka's oldest traditions, has been practised for centuries, where the local people from Jaffna come along the East Coast to Kataragama shrine.

Trekking, hiking, diving, rock climbing, deep sea fishing, whale watching, kitesurfing and hot air ballooning are some of the adventure sports those can be found in Sri Lanka.

Handicrafts – Handicrafts available in Sri Lanka include wood carving, silverware, brass castings, ceramic ware, bamboo products, pottery, batiks, lace works, cane works, costume jewellery, lacquerware, wooden masks, coir goods, handlooms, and ivory products.

The high biodiversity of Sri Lanka seems to be threatened by the development of mass tourism which has already affected several natural reserves.

Some endangered animal species seem to be seriously threatened by the rise of tourism in some areas; that is the case with the Keerthisinghe's Rock Frog, which is endemic in Sri Lanka.

[63] During elephant trekking experiences, other concerns include the use of howdahs, which combined with the weight of a tourist, can cause agonising and permanent spinal damage.

[67] According to the former president of the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society, Rukshan Jayawardena, the law [legitimised] the ownership of 30 to 40 elephant that were kidnapped from the wild, mostly between 2010 and 2015.

Hikkaduwa beach
Tourists visiting Ravana Falls
Colombo skyline
The Samadhi statue at Polonnaruwa Gal Vihara
The Unawatuna beach at the southern coast of the island was named as the World's Best Beach for 2004 by Discovery Channel . [ 33 ] In 2013 it was ranked in among the world's 100 best beaches list by CNN . [ 34 ]
Herd of elephants at Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage
Sigiriya the ancient stone fortress considered by many to be the eighth wonder of the world. [ 44 ]
The mountain of Adams Peak (Sri Pada) is one of the places where people of four major religions worship together.
National Museum of Colombo , established in 1877
Tea tourism is a relatively new concept, which is already practiced in Sri Lanka. [ 50 ]
Sri Lanka railway train Passing through Demodara bridge in Ella
Cinnamon Air seaplane in Colombo