NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC RANKS SRI LANKA AS A TOP TRAVEL DESTINATION FOR 2010

National Geographic has named Sri Lanka the No. 2 of the 25 “Best New Trips for 2010,” giving the island nation known as the “Wonder of the World” yet another top travel ranking this year.

In its list of “Best New Trips for 2010,” National Geographic said, “After the tsunami of 2004 and the resolution of a decades-long civil war, Sri Lanka is finally starting to look like its old self: a peaceful destination where surf lineups are nonexistent despite world-class waves and centuries-old tea estates are lined with mountain bike–ready trails. ‘The silver lining of the civil war is that the land and wildlife have remained untouched,’ says Lisa Bolger, trip coordinator for Access Trips, one of the very few outfitters leading excursions to the Indian Ocean island this coming year.”

The National Geographic notice, which touted Sri Lanka as “Missing in action No More,” is the third top ranking that Sri Lanka has received recently from premiere travel publications.

The New York Times on Jan. 10 named Sri Lanka the No. 1 travel destination in 2010 (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/10/travel/10places.html), noting that the long conflict against the LTTE terrorist is over and that there is no better time to travel to Sri Lanka’s unspoiled beaches, mountainous terrain and wildlife parks. It wrote:

“The island, with a population of just 20 million, feels like one big tropical zoo: elephants roam freely, water buffaloes idle in paddy fields and monkeys swing from trees. And then there’s the pristine coastline. The miles of sugary white sand flanked by bamboo groves that were off-limits to most visitors until recently are a happy, if unintended byproduct of the war.”

Also in January, the luxury-living website DailyCandy.com raved about Sri Lanka (http://www.dailycandy.com/online/article/79305/DailyCandy-Goes-to-Sri-Lanka), reporting that, “Really, there’s only one downside to Sri Lanka: Eventually, you have to leave.”

Travel to Sri Lanka began to increase dramatically just days after the conflict ended in May 2009. Tourist visits have jumped each month since then, with an impressive 67.7 percent jump in February compared to the same month in 2009. There have been no terrorist incidents anywhere in the island since the conflict ended, and a number of countries, including the U.S., have eased previous travel warnings.

Sri Lanka has long been known for its elegant, five-star destinations along its coastline and in its central highlands, which are dotted by sweeping green tea plantations and mountain vistas. The island nation also features an impressive string of wildlife parks that are home to Asian elephant herds, leopards and other exotic animals. More information on travel to Sri Lanka may be found at: http://www.srilankatourism.org/

A video of the National Geographic rankings can be viewed at: http://adventure.nationalgeographic.com/2009/11/best-new-trips-2010/trips-text

Embassy of Sri Lanka
Washington DC
USA

22 March 2010