Tourists shun war-hit Sri Lanka
[Telegraph]
Unfortunately, the violence has intensified over the last few months as the government has squeezed the LTTE forces back into the northern tip of the country. And this escalation has started to negatively impact the economy, with tourism , one of Sri Lanka’s key industries, severely affected. Although the reporting restrictions put in place by the government have ensured scant international coverage, tourists have still been scared away in large numbers. It must be emphasised that almost all of the popular tourist destinations in Sri Lanka are well away from the conflict zone but there have been LTTE attacks in Colombo and the ongoing violence has clearly put off many potential visitors, which is not good news for the country’s struggling hoteliers and tour operators.