In the twelfth century, the explorer Marco Polo wrote that Sri Lanka
was the finest island in the whole world. For centuries it had been a tourism
destination, particularly for European travelers. Recently, the Sri
Lankan Civil Warthat spanned over 25 years and ended in 2009 has had a
negative impact on tourism and the growth of the industry stagnated, however
following this era a resurgence in Sri Lanka as a tourist destination has been
evident. In 2012, post office worldwide holiday costs barometer named Sri Lanka
as the best valued destination for holidays
The
advantage of Sri Lanka as a tourism destination is threefold. Firstly it is an
authentic tourism destination. Secondly it is a compact island of 65,610 sqkm
where a tourist can travel the length and breadth of the country within a few
days, thirdly the diversity of the tourism product is unparalleled.
However
due to a number of policies of the Sri Lankan Government, international
tourists that are not dual citizens of Sri Lanka or hold a Sri Lankan National
Identity card are penalized when travelling to Sri Lanka - this includes but is
not limited to artificially inflated prices for accommodation and tourist
attractions that are in some cases an order of magnitude more expensive for
tourists, indeed some attractions are free if proof of nationality is provided.
For
the simplicity of communicating the diversity of Sri Lanka in 2010 the tourism
authorities started positioning the country around 8 different products namely;
beaches, heritage, wildlife, scenic beauty, mind and body wellness, festivals,
sports and adventure and Essence. The Essence of Sri Lanka include what is
unique to the country such as its people, art and culture, spices, tea, gems,
handy crafts etc.
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