Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is a beautiful tropical island in the Indian Ocean, situated at the southern tip of India. It is separated from India by the Palk Strait, which is 32 km wide at its narrowest point. The land area of the island is 65,610 square km with a maximum length of 432 km and a maximum width of 224 km.The southern half of the island is dominated by rugged hills and forests, while the northern half is a large plain. The island has beautiful palm-fringed beaches on the south western and south eastern coastlines.

As a tourism destination, Sri Lanka can compete successfully with oil-rich destinations partly because of its pivotal geographical position. Its strategic location in the Indian Ocean, along the major air and sea routes between Europe and the Far East, is an advantage to the country's positioning as a global logistics hub. As O'Hare points out, “The Island 'controls' routes to the Far East as well as to other destinations in the Indian Ocean, the Middle East, Africa and Australia". The geographical location of Sri Lanka was a reason for colonisation by three western powers, the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British.

In addition to its location, Sri Lanka offers a plethora of options for tourists such as beach destinations, favourable climate, rich cultural heritage, national parks and wildlife. It has 1,585 km of coastline, with Hikkaduwa and Unawatuna being well known as excellent scuba diving spots. Mirissa has become famous for viewing of whales and dolphins, while Tangalle is being promoted as a diving destination. Meanwhile, Trincomalee is known for its natural harbour and has two relatively unexplored beaches.