Posted 30 Apr 2010

People heading on a gap year adventure might want to consider making their way to Sri Lanka.

The country is finally seeing an upturn in tourism after years of civil war had strangled the industry, according to the Indo-Asian News Service.

Dileep Mudadeniva, managing director of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, told the news provider that its foreign visitor numbers for the first quarter of 2010 are nearly double what they were in 2009.

"After the historic defeat of terrorism, the tourism industry has been on the rise with increased interest from foreign tourists as well," he explained.

The sector appears to be looking up since the military defeated the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in 1983.

Nabeel Shariff, UK and Ireland marketing manager for Sri Lankan Tourism, recently advised people to head to the country as there are many activities awaiting visitors, such as trips to the cities of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa.

Category: Asia