Striking a cautious note on tourism: Facing the Challenges

Tourism has emerged as an extremely important sector in the economy from a number of perspectives in post-conflict Sri Lanka. It is important as a potential source of growth, employment and foreign exchange. The sector has seen impressive recovery since the end of the conflict. Arrivals have increased from 447,890 in 2009 to 855,975 in 2011. In addition, earnings from tourism have risen from $350 Mn to $850 Mn during this period.