Sri Lankan Ambassador to US leads inaugural tour:

Sri Lankan Ambassador to US, Jaliya Wickramasuriya and the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Washington, DC, in collaboration with Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, launched the first in a series of Signature Tours that will bring more American travellers to Sri Lanka.
"It is our pleasure to bring this group of American travellers to Sri Lanka," Wickramasuriya said. "I look forward to introducing the travellers to our island of unrivaled splendour and our welcoming culture. I know our journey will be an eye-opening experience that will highlight Sri Lanka's boundless potential."
The 12-day itinerary includes travel from Colombo to the UN World Heritage site of the Galle Fort and then a visit to the renowned countryside and tea fields of Nuwara Eliya. Working with the Embassy, the itinerary was organized by Jetwing Travels.
Earlier this year The New York Times named Sri Lanka its number one travel destination in 2010 and National Geographic ranked Sri Lanka second among its top 25 places to visit in 2010.
The Embassy plans to arrange Signature Tours on an annual basis.
Due to the stable peaceful conditions in Sri Lanka since May 2009 end of a conflict against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, the number of tourists arrivals has increased by 50 percent during the first half of 2010 compared to the same period in 2009. The US Department of State in May recognized the lasting peace and lifted a travel advisory.
"We believe we are just scratching the surface of our tourism market and we look forward to continued growth," Ambassador Wickramasuriya said.
Guidance and cooperation extended by Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa and Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority officials were essential in the timely implementation of this initiative.(News_Daily News)