Anjali Sharma
GG News Bureau
NEW YORK, 19th Feb. Sri Lanka President’s Media Division on Sunday announced infrastructure development projects and innovative tourism promotion programmes in a bid to attract high-end tourists.
The PMD said in a press statement that President Ranil Wickremesinghe conducted a tour of Tangalle and Galle areas on Saturday to assess tourism industry resurgence on the southern coast of the country, news media reported.
President visited several tourist hotels, talking with owners to understand their challenges first hand, the PMD added.
The PMD said the tourism sector in Sri Lanka faced a rapid downturn due to the Covid-19 pandemic and economic challenges.
PMD said that with the government’s new initiatives, there has been a significant surge in tourist arrivals, added that over 1.4 million tourists visited Sri Lanka in 2023.
PMD noted that the government aims to surpass the peak of 2.5 million tourists in 2017, with plans underway to achieve this milestone by 2024.
