Sri Lanka opens doors to Tourists

Nawalage Bennet Cooray, Sri Lanka's ambassador to the Philippines, said that the doors of his country are now open to charm and attract travelers from all corners of the world.

Cooray, during an exclusive roundtable with editors and reporters of The Manila Times on Tuesday, cited Colombo's recent success in wiping out the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

"We [the people] want to live together in peace and harmony. [That's why] we want to develop our country with our collective effort," the ambassador said.

According to Cooray, Sri Lanka is now on a full-blown mission to develop its tourism industry.
Colombo, he said, has targeted some 50,000 hotel rooms by the end of 2012.

Jobs in commercial establishments and restaurants for migrant workers, Cooray added, are also part of their goals to develop tourism.

He said that the tourism board of Sri Lanka will be conducting a two-day trade promotion and forum in Manila in July.

The events, according to Cooray, will focus on the cultural heritage and diversity of his country.

"They [travel agents] are very positive. [They say that] there is a big number of outbound tourists in the Philippines every year who are looking for new destinations. Now, Sri Lanka is a very good destination for tourists," he said.

Best sapphires

The history of Sri Lanka boasts of a mix of Mediterranean and European cultures-from the Portuguese, who were the first settlers of the country-to the Dutch, who came Sri Lanka initially in search of spices.

Other than spices, the former Ceylon is most famous for one of the most sought-after treasures in the world-gems.

"The world's best sapphires are from Sri Lanka," Cooray said. The country has rich deposits also of ruby and alexandrite, which is considered to be the most rare and most expensive gem in the world.

Tea from Sri Lanka, the world's third-largest producer, is also an internationally renowned product. The Ceylon tea is touted as Sri Lanka's finest and freshest tea.

The most expensive tea can also be found there—the golden and silver tip tea that is served to royal families.

Heritage sites

Tourists looking for new beach sightings and exotic wildlife can find Sri Lanka interesting, with this drop pearl-shaped island boasting of a 1,340-kilometer coastline.

The country is also home to some of Unesco's World Heritage Sites, including the Sinharaja Forest Reserve and the Temple of Tooth found in the sacred city of Kandy.

Nature lovers can access all ecological zones found in Sri Lanka, with 13 percent of its land area composed of 12 national parks and 52 sanctuaries for wildlife and forest reserves.

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