Sri Lanka at ITB: A balance between expansion and ecology

Thursday, 13 March 2014 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Last year Sri Lanka attracted almost 13 million tourists – a 27% increase over 2012. Arrivals from Germany totalled 85,470, the third largest number after India and the United Kingdom. “There is still room for expansion,” said Jürgen Klimke, a member of the German Parliament, at the official opening of the Sri Lanka stand at ITB Berlin 2014. “Now that the north east of the country, with its friendly, helpful and welcoming inhabitants, has been opened up, additional opportunities exist for ecological tourism in particular, and maybe Germany will soon occupy first place.” Efforts are being made to ensure that that this expansion, together with the modernisation of the existing infrastructure, is carried out in a sustainable way. “We have a very strict environmental protection plan and are encouraging the construction of ecologically compatible hotels,” explains Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority Bhashwara Senanka Gunarathna. New hotels are currently being constructed for such well known international groups as Best Western, Hyatt, Marriott, Mövenpick, Sheraton and Shangri-La. All of them are expecting an increase in the number of overnights. By 2020 the country is predicting the number of incoming tourists will reach four million. They will be coming to experience the beaches, wonders of nature and the cultural heritage of this island in the Indian Ocean, but increasing numbers are also attracted by the ayurvedic farms and the country’s spas.

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