Tourism in Sri Lanka
Encyclopedia
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
is one of the main industries in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. Major tourist attractions are focused around the island's famous beaches located in the southern
Southern Province, Sri Lanka
The Southern Province of Sri Lanka is a small geographic area consisting of the districts of Galle, Matara and Hambantota. The region is economically backward compared to the Western province, where the capital Sri Jayawardenapura-Kotte is situated...
and eastern
Eastern Province, Sri Lanka
The Eastern Province is one of the 9 provinces of Sri Lanka. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but they didn't have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. Between 1988 and 2006 the province was...
parts of the country, ancient heritage sites located in the interior of the country and lush green resorts located in the mountainous regions of the country. A large majority of tourists come from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Maldives
Maldives
The Maldives , , officially Republic of Maldives , also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean formed by a double chain of twenty-six atolls oriented north-south off India's Lakshadweep islands, between Minicoy Island and...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Visitor attractions
Sri Lanka is home to eight world heritage sitesWorld Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka
Eight sites of Sri Lanka have been inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage, namely, the ancient city of Polonnaruwa , the ancient city of Sigiriya , the Golden Temple of Dambulla , the old town of Galle and its fortifications , the sacred city of Anuradhapura , the sacred city of Kandy , Sinharaja...
: Galle
Galle
Galle is a city situated on the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka, 119 km from Colombo. Galle is the capital city of Southern Province of Sri Lanka and it lies in Galle District....
, Kandy
Kandy
Kandy is a city in the center of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is one of the most scenic cities in Sri Lanka; it is both an...
, Sigiriya
Sigiriya
Sigiriya is a large stone and ancient rock fortress and palace ruin in the central Matale District of Sri Lanka, surrounded by the remains of an extensive network of gardens, reservoirs, and other structures...
, Anuradhapura
Anuradhapura
Anuradhapura, , is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, famous for its well-preserved ruins of ancient Lankan civilization.The city, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies 205 km north of the current capital Colombo in Sri Lanka's North Central Province, on the banks of the historic...
, Polonnaruva, Dambulla cave temple
Dambulla cave temple
Dambulla cave temple also known as the Golden Temple of Dambulla is a World Heritage Site in Sri Lanka, situated in the central part of the country. This site is situated 148 km east of Colombo and 72 km north of Kandy...
, the Central Highlands, and Lion-King Sinharaja tropical rainforest.
The Central Highlands of Sri Lanka was inscribed on 31 July 2010, by the World Heritage Committee
World Heritage Committee
The World Heritage Committee establishes the sites to be listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It is responsible for the implementation of the World Heritage Convention, defines the use of the World Heritage Fund and allocates financial assistance upon requests from States Parties...
's 34th session in Brasília
Brasília
Brasília is the capital city of Brazil. The name is commonly spelled Brasilia in English. The city and its District are located in the Central-West region of the country, along a plateau known as Planalto Central. It has a population of about 2,557,000 as of the 2008 IBGE estimate, making it the...
, as a new World Heritage Site. The site comprises the Peak Wilderness Protected Area, the Horton Plains National Park
Horton Plains National Park
Horton Plains National Park is a protected area in the central highlands of Sri Lanka and is covered by montane grassland and cloud forest. This plateau at an altitude of is rich in biodiversity and many species found here are endemic to the region. This region was designated a national park in...
and the Knuckles Conservation Forest
Knuckles Mountain Range
The Knuckles Mountain Range lies in central Sri Lanka, north-east of the city of Kandy. The range takes its name from a series of recumbent folds and peaks in the west of the massif which resemble the knuckles of clenched fist when viewed from certain locations in the Kandy District...
.
In addition to above mixed (culture and nature) sites the ancient cultural site of Seruwila Mangala Raja Maha Vihar at the village of Toppur, Koddiyar Pattu of Trincomalee District of Eastern Province of Sri Lanka was submitted to UNESCO by the government of Sri Lanka on 30 October 2006.
Sri Lanka's many beaches are often visited by tourists. The historical city of Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
is considered as the "Commercial capital of Sri Lanka" which attracts many tourists from Asian region to visit for businesses. National parks in Sri Lanka are also popular visitor attractions. Tourists are also attracted to Sri Lanka by its natural beauty.
Beaches and lagoons
West Coast- NegomboNegomboNegombo is a town of about 121,933, approximately 37 km north of Colombo, in Sri Lanka. It is located at the mouth of the Negombo Lagoon, about 7 km from the Bandaranaike International Airport...
(35 km north of Colombo) - Mount Lavinia (12 km south of Colombo)
- KalutaraKalutaraKalutara is a resort town located approximately 40 km south of Colombo in Sri Lanka.- Overview :Once an important spice-trading center, the city's name is derived from the Kalu Ganga River . In the 11th Century, the town was temporarily made a capital on the orders of a South Indian Prince...
(42 km south of Colombo)
South Coast
- BentotaBentotaBentota is a Sri Lankan coastal city located on the southern tip of the Galle District of the Southern Province, about south of Beruwala on the A2 highway. Its population is estimated to be between 25,000-50,000...
(62 km south of Colombo) - Ambalangoda (Approx 85 km south of Colombo)
- HikkaduwaHikkaduwaHikkaduwa is a small town on the south coast of Sri Lanka. It is located in the Southern Province, about 17 km north-west of Galle. Hikkaduwa is famous for its beach, surfing, corals and night life....
(98 km south of Colombo) - UnawatunaUnawatunaUnawatuna is a coastal village in Galle district of Sri Lanka.Unawatuna is a major tourist attraction and famous for its beautiful beach and corals.-From Ramayana:The description of the beach paradises in Valmiki's epic Ramayana sounds like Unawatuna....
(140 km south-east of Colombo) - WeligamaWeligamaWeligama is a Urban Council in Matara district on the southern coast of Sri Lanka. The term Weligama literally means "sandy village" which refers to the area's sandy sweep bay. Tourism & Fishing are two main business. Situated at a distance of 144 km from Colombo, Weligama is a popular tourist...
(143 km south-east of Colombo) - Mirissa
- MataraMataraMatara can refer to:* Matara, Eritrea* Matara, Sri Lanka* Matará, Cangallo Province, Peru...
(km south-east of Colombo) - TangalleTangalleTangalle is a town on the southern coast of Sri Lanka located in the Hambantota District. It has a mild climate, in comparison to the rest of the district, and sandy beaches....
(195 km south-east of Colombo)
East Coast
- Arugam Bay (315 km east of Colombo)
North Coast
- Nilaveli & Uppuveli (280 km north-east of Colombo)
- TrincomaleeTrincomaleeTrincomalee is a port city in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka and lies on the east coast of the island, about 113 miles south of Jaffna. It has a population of approximately 100,000 . The city is built on a peninsula, which divides the inner and outer harbours. Overlooking the Kottiyar Bay,...
(257 km north-east of Colombo)
Historic or Archeological Sites
- Anuradapura - Ancient Kingdom
- SigiriyaSigiriyaSigiriya is a large stone and ancient rock fortress and palace ruin in the central Matale District of Sri Lanka, surrounded by the remains of an extensive network of gardens, reservoirs, and other structures...
- Ancient Kingdom & fortress - PolonnaruwaPolonnaruwaThe second most ancient of Sri Lanka's kingdoms, was first declared the capital city by King Vijayabahu I, who defeated the Chola invaders in 1070 AD to reunite the country once more under a local leader.-History:While Vijayabahu's victory and shifting of Kingdoms to the more strategic Polonnaruwa...
- Ancient Kingdom - KandyKandyKandy is a city in the center of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is one of the most scenic cities in Sri Lanka; it is both an...
- Ancient Kingdom with temple of tooth relic - GalleGalleGalle is a city situated on the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka, 119 km from Colombo. Galle is the capital city of Southern Province of Sri Lanka and it lies in Galle District....
- Fortress - DambullaDambullaThe city of Dambulla is situated in the Matale District in the Central Province of Sri Lanka, situated 148 km north-east of Colombo and 72 km north of Kandy....
- Rock cave temple - MaligawilaMaligawilaMaligawila, or Maligavila is a village in Sri Lanka, approximately south from Moneragala and from Okkampitiya in the Moneragala District...
- Ancient Monastery with largest statue of Lord Buddha in Sri Lanka - YapahuwaYapahuwaYapahuwa was one of the ephemeral capitals of medieval Sri Lanka. The citadel of Yapahuwa lying midway between Kurunagala and Anuradhapura was built around a huge granite rock rising abruptly almost a hundred meters above the surrounding lowlands....
- Fortress
National Parks
- Yala National ParkYala National ParkYala National Park is the most visited and second largest national park in Sri Lanka. Actually it consists of five blocks, two of which are now open to the public; and also adjoining parks. The blocks have individual names also, like Ruhuna National Park for the block 1 and Kumana National Park or...
- Most visited, and second-largest in Sri Lanka - Udawalawe National ParkUdawalawe National ParkUdawalawe National Park lies on the boundary of Sabaragamuwa and Uva Provinces, in Sri Lanka. The national park was created to provide a sanctuary for wild animals displaced by the construction of the Udawalawe reservoir on the Walawe River, as well as to protect the catchment of the reservoir....
- Famous for Elephant watching - Kumana National ParkKumana National ParkKumana National Park in Sri Lanka is renowned for its avifauna, particularly its large flocks of migratory waterfowl and wading birds. The park is southeast of Colombo on Sri Lanka's southeastern coast. Kumana is contiguous with Yala National Park...
- Famous for Bird watching - Bundala National ParkBundala National ParkBundala National Park is an internationally important wintering ground for migratory water birds in Sri Lanka. Bundala harbors 197 species of Birds, the highlight being the Greater Flamingo, which migrate in large flocks. Bundala was designated a wildlife sanctuary in 1969 and redesignated to a...
- Famous for Bird watching - Wasgamuwa National Park - One most attractive national park
- Wilpattu National ParkWilpattu National ParkWilpattu National Park is a park located on the island of Sri Lanka. The unique feature of this park is the existence of "Willus" - Natural, sand-rimmed water basins or depressions that fill with rainwater. Located in the Northwest coast lowland dry zone of Sri Lanka...
- Largest in Sri Lanka, famous for leopards - Minneriya National ParkMinneriya National ParkMinneriya National Park is a national park in North Central Province of Sri Lanka. The area was designated as a national park on 12 August 1997, having been originally declared as a wildlife sanctuary in 1938. The reason for declaring the area as protected is to protect the catchment of Minneriya...
- Famous for Elephants - Horton Plains National ParkHorton Plains National ParkHorton Plains National Park is a protected area in the central highlands of Sri Lanka and is covered by montane grassland and cloud forest. This plateau at an altitude of is rich in biodiversity and many species found here are endemic to the region. This region was designated a national park in...
- Only national park in hill country and famous for sambar - Mullaitive National Park - Proposed for Elephant watching
Elephants
- Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage
- Udawalawe Elephant Transit CentreUdawalawe Elephant Transit CentreThe Udawalawe Elephant Transfer Home is a facility within Udawalawe National Park in Sri Lanka that was established in 1995 by the Sri Lanka Department of Wildlife Conservation...
Adventure Sports
- White water rafting - Kithulgala
- SurfingSurfingSurfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
- Arugam Bay - BoatingBoatingBoating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels , focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, such as fishing or water skiing...
- BentotaBentotaBentota is a Sri Lankan coastal city located on the southern tip of the Galle District of the Southern Province, about south of Beruwala on the A2 highway. Its population is estimated to be between 25,000-50,000...
, Bolgoda, Madhu ganga, Koggala - Trekking - Knuckles Mountain RangeKnuckles Mountain RangeThe Knuckles Mountain Range lies in central Sri Lanka, north-east of the city of Kandy. The range takes its name from a series of recumbent folds and peaks in the west of the massif which resemble the knuckles of clenched fist when viewed from certain locations in the Kandy District...
, Hortan plains, Sripada aka Adam's peak
Precious stone mining
Sapphire
Sapphire is a gemstone variety of the mineral corundum, an aluminium oxide , when it is a color other than red or dark pink; in which case the gem would instead be called a ruby, considered to be a different gemstone. Trace amounts of other elements such as iron, titanium, or chromium can give...
s frequently found in Ratnapura
Ratnapura
- Floods :The town of Ratnapura is situated in the flooding plain of the river Kalu. The town experiences regular floods usually in the month of May. There is no large dam across the Kalu, so this leaves the city at the mercy of nature's forces every year. Several proposals have been made to reduce...
and 90% of the rocks of the island are of Precambrian
Precambrian
The Precambrian is the name which describes the large span of time in Earth's history before the current Phanerozoic Eon, and is a Supereon divided into several eons of the geologic time scale...
age, 560 million to 2,400 million years ago. The gems form in sedimentary residual gem deposits, eluvial deposits, metamorphic
Metamorphic rock
Metamorphic rock is the transformation of an existing rock type, the protolith, in a process called metamorphism, which means "change in form". The protolith is subjected to heat and pressure causing profound physical and/or chemical change...
deposits, skarn
Skarn
Skarn is an old Swedish mining term originally used to describe a type of silicate gangue, or waste rock, associated with iron-ore bearing sulfide deposits apparently replacing Archean age limestones in Sweden's Persberg mining district. In modern usage the term "skarn" has been expanded to refer...
and calcium-rich rocks. Other gems are of magma
Magma
Magma is a mixture of molten rock, volatiles and solids that is found beneath the surface of the Earth, and is expected to exist on other terrestrial planets. Besides molten rock, magma may also contain suspended crystals and dissolved gas and sometimes also gas bubbles. Magma often collects in...
tic origin.
The blue sapphire
Sapphire
Sapphire is a gemstone variety of the mineral corundum, an aluminium oxide , when it is a color other than red or dark pink; in which case the gem would instead be called a ruby, considered to be a different gemstone. Trace amounts of other elements such as iron, titanium, or chromium can give...
s from Sri Lanka are known as Ceylon Sapphire. Ceylon Sapphires are reportedly unique in colour, clarity and lustre compared to the blue sapphires from other countries, also Marco Polo
Marco Polo
Marco Polo was a Venetian merchant traveler from the Venetian Republic whose travels are recorded in Il Milione, a book which did much to introduce Europeans to Central Asia and China. He learned about trading whilst his father and uncle, Niccolò and Maffeo, travelled through Asia and apparently...
wrote that the island had the best sapphires, topazes, amethysts, and other gems in the world.
The tourists are interested in precious stones also can visit Adam's Peak
Adam's Peak
Sri Pada , is a tall conical mountain located in central Sri Lanka...
, Sinharaja Forest Reserve
Sinharaja Forest Reserve
Sinharaja Forest Reserve is a national park and a biodiversity hotspot in Sri Lanka. It is of international significance and has been designated a Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site by UNESCO....
, Udawalawe National Park
Udawalawe National Park
Udawalawe National Park lies on the boundary of Sabaragamuwa and Uva Provinces, in Sri Lanka. The national park was created to provide a sanctuary for wild animals displaced by the construction of the Udawalawe reservoir on the Walawe River, as well as to protect the catchment of the reservoir....
and Kitulgala
Kitulgala
Kitulgala is a small town in the west of Sri Lanka. It is in the wet zone rain forest, which gets two monsoons each year, and is one of the wettest places in the country. Nevertheless, it comes alive in the first three months of the year, especially in February, the driest month...
(place of "The Bridge on the River Kwai
The Bridge on the River Kwai
The Bridge on the River Kwai is a 1957 British World War II film by David Lean based on The Bridge over the River Kwai by French writer Pierre Boulle. The film is a work of fiction but borrows the construction of the Burma Railway in 1942–43 for its historical setting. It stars William...
" was filmed).
Tourism industry
The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
and the past civil war
Sri Lankan civil war
The Sri Lankan Civil War was a conflict fought on the island of Sri Lanka. Beginning on July 23, 1983, there was an on-and-off insurgency against the government by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a separatist militant organization which fought to create an independent Tamil state named Tamil...
have reduced tourist arrivals but Sri Lanka received over half a million tourists in 2006.
The International media reports published about the improvements in industry of January 2008 by 0.6%, March 2008 by 8.6% when comparing to last year's (2007) figures.
See also
- Historical archive on tourismHistorical archive on tourismThe Historical Archive on Tourism is sited in the city of Berlin at the Freie Universität Berlin, housed at the Willy-Scharnow-Institut für Tourismus. The HAT had been founded in 1989; today the length of the shelves amounts to some 500 running meter...
- Travel and Tourism Competitiveness ReportTravel and Tourism Competitiveness ReportThe Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report was first published in 2007 by the World Economic Forum. The 2007 report covered 124 major and emerging economies. The 2008 report covered 130 countries,, the 2009 report expanded to 133 countries, and the 2011 report to 139 countries...
- World Tourism OrganizationWorld Tourism OrganizationThe World Tourism Organization , based in Madrid, Spain, is a United Nations agency dealing with questions relating to tourism. It compiles the World Tourism rankings. The World Tourism Organization is a significant global body, concerned with the collection and collation of statistical information...
- World Travel MonitorWorld Travel MonitorThe World Travel Monitor / European Travel Monitor is a worldwide tourism information system detailing the foreign travel behavior practiced by a country’s respective resident population.- Origins / Objective :...
- World-Point Academy of Tourism
- Economy of Sri LankaEconomy of Sri LankaWith an economy worth $56 billion , and a per capita GDP of about $7000 , Sri Lanka has mostly had strong growth rates in recent years...
- Eco & Adventure Tourism Sri Lanka