By Arundathie AbeysingheSri Lanka – a paradise for tourists

By Arundathie AbeysingheLecturer in English

International Aviation AcademySriLankan Airlines

For centuries, Sri Lanka has been a great tourism destination especially for European travellers

Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by sea - a perfect destination for a beach holiday

When the seas are rough on one side of the island, water is calm on the other side

Sri Lanka - a year round beach destination

Advantage of Sri Lanka as a tourism destination is threefold

An authentic tourism destination A compact island of 65,610 square

kilometers - a tourist can travel the length and breadth of the country within a few days

Diversity of tourism is unparalleled

Sri Lanka - the finest island in the whole world - Famous explorer Marco Polo (12th

Century) For centuries Sri Lanka had been a great tourism

destination particularly for European travellers In 2010, tourism authorities positioned Sri Lanka

around 8 different areas: scenic beauty, beaches, heritage, wildlife, mind and body wellness, festivals, sports and adventure and essence (what is unique to the country – people, art and culture, tea, spices, gems)

Tourism - one of the main industries in Sri Lanka

Major tourist attractions are focused around the island's famous beaches located in the South and the East

Ancient heritage sites, lush green resorts located in the mountainous regions of the country, rich cultural heritages, wild life parks

Sri Lanka - an island - surrounded by sea and a perfect destination for a beach holiday

When the seas are rough on one side of the island - calm waters on the other side

Sri Lanka - year round beach destination

A recorded history of more than 2500 years - Sri Lanka has a rich cultural and historic heritage

There are 8 world heritage sites within the country: hill capital Kandy, sacred city of Anuradhapura, Dutch fort of Galle, ancient city of Polonnaruwa, rock fortress of Sigiriya, golden rock temple of Dambulla, beautiful Horton plains and Sinharaja Rainforest

There are hundreds of heritage sites in the island which are frequented by tourists

Eight sites of Sri Lanka have been inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage list

Sacred City of Kandy (1988) Ancient city of Sigiriya (1982) Polonnaruwa (1982) Golden Temple of Dambulla (1991) Galle and its fortifications (1988) Sacred city of Anuradhapura (1982) Sinharaja Forest Reserve (1988) Central Highlands of Sri Lanka (2010)

For a small island the biodiversity of the country is most impressive

Sri Lanka is home for a wide variety of mammals, birds, fish, butterflies and snakes

Elephant, leopard, sloth bear, blue whale and sperm whale can also be seen in Sri Lanka

Due to varying climatic conditions and geography, Sri Lanka is an ideal destination for sports tourism

Some of the popular sports include golf, wind surfing, diving and snorkelling, hot air ballooning, rafting and canoeing, white water rafting, scuba diving, fishing, cycling, hiking, trekking and rock climbing

One of the most scenic cities in Sri LankaCultural and religious cityCapital of the Central ProvinceEncompasses Kandy, Matale and Nuwara Eliya

districtsHome of The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic

(Sri Dalada Maligawa) - one of the most venerable places for Sri Lankans and foreigners

Declared as a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO in 1988

Sri Lanka's first capital founded during 4th century B.C.

Religious places include Ruwanwelisaya, Jetawanaramaya, Abayagiriya, Mirisavetiya and Sri Maha Bodhiya (one of the oldest chronicled trees in the world)

From the 4th century BC, it was the capital of Sri Lanka until the beginning of the 11th century A.D.

Capital from 11-13 centuries A.D. A blend of South Indian Hindi culture with

Sinhala artistry Gal Viharaya - a rock shrine Vatadage - a circular ruin Parakkrama Samudraya - resembles an

ocean Gigantic Buddha statues and granite

sculptures are also great attractions

A magnificent fortress situated at the center of the cultural triangle

Stunning frescoes and mirror walls Used as a rock-shelter mountain monastery

from 5th century B.C. There are three gardens at Sigiriya: Water

Gardens, Boulder Gardens and Terraced Gardens

Dambulla - situated in the Matale district in the Central Province of Sri Lanka

Major attractions include Dambulla Cave Temple Complex, Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium, largest rose quartz mountain range in South Asia, ironwood forest also known as Namal Uyana

The area is thought to be inhabited from as early as 7th to 3rd century B.C.

Misty mountains to tropical rainforests, wildlife sanctuaries to lush waterfalls for the nature lovers

Sinharaja - Sri Lanka's last remaining rainforest Pidurutalagala - Sri Lanka's highest mountain,

Hunnasgiriya, Knuckles and Adam's Peak are other important and famous mountains

Diyaluma - Sri Lanka’s highest waterfall and the (world's 6th highest), Bambarakande, Ramboda, Aberdeen, Devon, St. Clair, Dunhinda, Rawana Ella add dramatic beauty to the up country

Safari parks at Yala, Wilpattu, Wasgamuwa and Udawalwe, Kumana bird sanctuary and Kosgoda turtle hatchery - popular tourist attractions

Horton Plains National Park, Knuckles forest reservation, Udawattekelle are rich in biodiversity

Royal Botanical Gardens in Peradeniya and Hakgala Botanical Gardens are two major botanical gardens

Sri Lanka is surrounded by 1600 km of beautiful tropical beaches on the southern, western, eastern and northern shores

Apart from the country’s attractions, Sri Lankans are famous the world over, for their hospitality

From North to South, people in the entire country are famous for their hospitality; rich as well as poor people like to entertain visitors in their homes

Tourists are treated well and looked after well in every part of Sri Lanka

Thank you!