Sri Lankan Ambassador to US leads inaugural tour:
More US tourists visit Lanka
Sri Lankan Ambassador to US, Jaliya Wickramasuriya and the Embassy of
Sri Lanka in Washington, DC, in collaboration with Sri Lanka Tourism
Development Authority, launched the first in a series of Signature Tours
that will bring more American travellers to Sri Lanka.
The tourists with Ambassador Jaliya Wickramasuriya on
arrival at the Bandaranaike International Airport yesterday.
Picture by Kumarasiri Prasad - Airport correspondent |
The group of tourists who arrived in Sri Lanka last morning will be
here till August 29, accompanying them are Ambassador Wickramasuriya.
Travellers on the inaugural trip include an award-winning travel writer,
Hollywood film professional and executives from a variety of companies.
"It is our pleasure to bring this group of American travellers to Sri
Lanka," Wickramasuriya said. "I look forward to introducing the
travellers to our island of unrivaled splendour and our welcoming
culture. I know our journey will be an eye-opening experience that will
highlight Sri Lanka's boundless potential."
The 12-day itinerary includes travel from Colombo to the UN World
Heritage site of the Galle Fort and then a visit to the renowned
countryside and tea fields of Nuwara Eliya. Working with the Embassy,
the itinerary was organized by Jetwing Travels.
Earlier this year The New York Times named Sri Lanka its number one
travel destination in 2010 and National Geographic ranked Sri Lanka
second among its top 25 places to visit in 2010.
The Embassy plans to arrange Signature Tours on an annual basis.
Due to the stable peaceful conditions in Sri Lanka since May 2009 end
of a conflict against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, the number
of tourists arrivals has increased by 50 percent during the first half
of 2010 compared to the same period in 2009. The US Department of State
in May recognized the lasting peace and lifted a travel advisory.
"We believe we are just scratching the surface of our tourism market
and we look forward to continued growth," Ambassador Wickramasuriya
said.
Guidance and cooperation extended by Economic Development Minister
Basil Rajapaksa and Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority officials
were essential in the timely implementation of this initiative. |