Sri Lanka among Top 10 friendliest countries in the world
Daily FT: Sri Lanka has been included among the Top 10 friendliest countries in the world as per 2022 Readers’ Choice Awards conducted by the popular magazine Condé Nast Traveller.
Sri Lanka was ranked at number nine ahead of the Philippines in the ranking. French Polynesia tops the list.
“They say you can travel the world and you’ll never find anywhere as welcoming as home, but we don’t quite think that’s true. From the ever-beaming people of Sri Lanka to the famously open-armed population of New Zealand, our planet is home to some seriously friendly countries, ready to share the love they feel for their country with you,” Conde Nast Traveller said.
“So, once again, we asked our readers to vote for the countries they consider to be home to the friendliest people in our 2022 Readers’ Choice Awards,” it added.
Following was its description on Sri Lanka.
From children to the elderly, the people of Sri Lanka are known for their love of visitors, and genuine desire to help. On the south coast, set sail on a whale watching expedition in Mirissa, shop the colourful boutiques of the fort city of Galle or shack up at the uber-luxe Cape Weligama hotel, occupying a cliff next to the ocean.
Make the climb up to the Tea District, where precarious winding roads will lead you into the heart of the country’s tea plantations, or, towards the centre, climb Sigiriya Rock for views far and wide.
OSL take:
The listing of Sri Lanka among the top 10 friendliest nations in the world would add to Sri Lanka’s attraction as a tourist destination. Sri Lanka has also received exposure in the international media as a must visit tourist destination and one of the top 10 Island destinations. All this have shown a steady growth in Sri Lanka’s tourism industry with local authorities expressing confidence in a more buoyant growth from the upcoming tourism season onwards. Sri Lanka’s tourism authorities are also promoting the country in key tourist source markets while also exploring new tourism concepts. The promotional packages and incentives have wooed tourists to Sri Lanka, indicating a return to normalcy after facing the pandemic challenges. All these are indicative of increasing growth and business potential in Sri Lanka’s tourism industry, especially in the leisure, hospitality and supplementary infrastructure development sectors. International leisure and hospitality brands have already expressed interest in entering Sri Lanka given the growing business potential. Foreign businesses/investors could therefore explore the expanding opportunities in Sri Lanka’s tourism industry.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/19102022/X_2 |