New York Times Selects Sri Lanka as the No. One Place to Visit in 2010

Sri Lanka is reaching its planned targets on tourism sector and the plan of naming the year 2011 as the year of tourism, said by Tourism Minister Achala Suranga Jagoda. The Minister addressing a press briefing in Colombo said that New York Times newspaper in its January 10th issue had listed Sri Lanka as the number one destination to travel in 2010.

In the article ‘The 31 Places to go in 2010’ Sri Lanka which has been reviewed by New York Times’ travel writer Lionel Beehner had said that the conclusion of the war has opened the eyes of the world to “…this teardrop-shaped island off India’s coast, rich in natural beauty and cultural splendors,” the Tourism Minister said.

The New York Times article begins with “For a quarter century, Sri Lanka seems to have been plagued by misfortune, including a brutal civil war between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil minority. But the conflict finally ended last May, ushering in a more peaceful era for this teardrop-shaped island off India’s coast, rich in natural beauty and cultural splendors….” speaks the places to visit in Sri Lanka including newly implemented development works just after defeating terrorism.

Unawatuna, a crescent-shaped beach a few miles south of Galle, international airport in Matara, on the island’s southern shore, is under construction, the most scenic, if difficult stretches to reach, is Nilaveli Beach, elephants roam freely, water buffaloes idle in paddy fields and monkeys swing from trees and several other places have been included in the article.
Minister Jagoda said that at the same time, the ministry has implemented a lot of projects to attract the tourism industry in the country.

Link to the original article by Lionel Beehner
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/10/travel/10places.html

- Asian Tribune -