Sri Lanka has been developed as a beach destination since tourism
industry began in 1967.
Over 50% of the 14000 rooms in the country are in the coastal
belt in the south and west coast of the island. A large number
of hotels in the south coast and almost all in the east coast
were destroyed by the Tsunami on the 26th of December 2004.
The devastation of the Tsunami made it even more important
for Sri Lanka to develop ecotourism with its natural and cultural
wealth distributed in a small geographical area, situated
inland away from the mass tourism destinations along the coast
.
The rich resource base for ecotourism inter alia includes
cultural assets of antiquity with 6 world heritage sites,
some dating back to over 2000 years and natural assets famed
for biodiversity and great scenic beauty.
The density of both natural and cultural assets in a small
island is unique and provides a strong foundation for ecotourism.
It is significant in this connection that the SLTB has indicated
a shift in its long term vision from "classical"
to "alternate" tourism and even changed its slogan
to "Beyond beaches, culture, nature, adventure."
This accords very well with the aspirations of ecotourism.
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