Caged tiger to lead Sri Lanka tourism revival

Tourism in Sri Lanka will be bolstered by the country’s government's military defeat of the Tamil Tigers, according to Sri Lankan deputy minister of tourism Hon. Faiszer Mustapha.

Mustapha was leading the Sri Lankan delegation at ATN on day two at a press conference to re-launch the country’s flagging tourist industry.

Mustapha proclaimed: “The conflict is nearly over, peace has dawned, giving us a chance to showcase Sri Lanka.

 “We have caged the tiger at the moment - we have broken their support and communications network and no tourists have been subjected to terrorism,” he added.

The large delegation from the south Asian republic was at ATM to help kick-start the country’s stuttering tourism industry, by announcing the launch of a new marketing campaign by the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau.

The bureau has replaced its old “a land like no other” motto, for the new “small miracle” slogan, in order to refresh the agency’s aging marketing strategy and to attract 1.5 million tourists over the next year.

Mustapha described the war torn north-east of the country as one the nation’s most scenic regions, however, despite Sri Lanka harbouring a wealth of natural beauty, it has only one international airport, adding an extra deterrent for potential visitors.

“We have good public roads and rail systems and offer a helicopter option for those who can afford it,” said Mustapha in defence of the country’s infrastructure.