Sri Lanka receives tourism boost

Amaya Hills hotel London - Arabstoday   Sri Lanka has been listed among the top five emerging travel powerhouses in the World Travel Market's recent industry report. Mexico, Malaysia, Indonesia and Argentina are also mentioned in the report which was released in London last week. Sri Lanka's Tourism Development Authority said the three key factors highlighted were the country's re-emergence after the civil war, investment in infrastructure and beauty of the destination. Tourism industry expert Srilal Miththapala said: "It is important that Sri Lankan hoteliers take note of these findings and strategically develop and position their product and service offerings accordingly, in relation to the competition, to capitalise on these trends." World Travel Market's report highlights world travel trends and insights, with emphasis on the UK market. The Sri Lankan government has targeted one million arrivals for 2012 and revenue of one billion U.S. dollars from foreign direct investment. By 2016 they hope to reach 2.5 million arrivals despite industry experts warning of massive infrastructure upgrades to meet this target.