Conde Nast Traveller ranks Sri Lanka 4th best country to travel

<p align="justify">Readers of Conde Nast Traveler's upmarket travel publication voted Sri Lanka as the fourth best country to visit in 2019.

The ranking followed the Easter Sunday terror attacks that devastated the country's tourismsector.

The Conde Nast Traveler's 32nd Reader's Choice Awards, released in November, showed Sri Lanka coming in behind Indonesia, Thailand, and Portugal. Saying that "big things derive in small packages," Conde Nast emphasized the variety of attractions that Sri Lanka has to offer to its beaches, from culture and tea plantations.

The magazine said Sri Lanka's tourism sector is slowly recovering with measures such as the free visa on arrival system following the terror attacks in April. The Conde Nast Traveler's 32nd edition was a record-breaker with 600,000 registered voters offering their opinions on the world's best states, resorts, cities, and islands. The rest of the world's top 10 countries for 2019 were South Africa, Peru, Greece, the Philippines, Italy, and Vietnam.

When extremists attacked Sri Lanka in early 2019, the hard-earned reputation of the island nation as an idyllic escape suffered a blow, affecting locals in the tourism trade in particular. Over the months since, the country has made attempts to attract travelers once again— like offering free travel visas for tourists— and slowly return. Sri Lanka provides a multitude of attractions to those willing to explore, with countless sacred sites, endless crystal blue waters, and picturesque jade green tea plantations.

The proverb "big things come in small packages" certainly applies here. In the capital city of Colombo, post-and pre-colonial heritage is visible in plenty, including eight UNESCO World Heritage sites. A hotel boom has led to the launching of wellness resorts and high-end spas in recent years, all of which put tourists within the scope of their dream holiday.</p>

OSL Take:

<p align="justify">Sri Lankan government has committed significant resources towards the uplifting tourism industry in Sri Lanka and has shown a growing inclination to engage with the critical stakeholders in the private sector in the tourism industry. At present, tourism contributes around 5% to of Sri Lanka’s GDP of 81 $ Billion.

There is seeming progress as Sri Lanka has passed the milestone of two million visits by tourists reaching 2,050,832. The country is looking at a growth rate of 14% in the year 2020. There is more high growth expected, especially with the new task force in place with powers to affect the tourism industry positively.

The recently devised digital campaign is expected to help bring the Sri Lankan tourism industry even further into the spotlight. It is presumed that the campaign will bolster an introduction to newer markets, as well as more modern niches within the markets.

Sri Lanka’s tourism authorities have commenced promotional campaigns to attract visitors to the country following the setback faced by the tourism sector following the Easter Sunday attacks. The newly elected government of Sri Lanka has already introduced a relief package to the tourism sector. Given all these developments, the country’s tourism industry is showing signs of revival. Many foreign investors have already expressed confidence in the country’s tourismindustry, and it’s growth potential. Therefore, international businesses/investors could explore business/investment opportunities in SriLanka’s tourism sector.</p>