Remaining Sri Lanka travel advisory lifted
Tuesday, 05 Aug, 2010
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The UK government has lifted its last remaining travel restrictions on Sri Lanka, a year after the end of the country’s civil war.
The foreign office is no longer advising against travel to Sri Lanka’s four northern districts of Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi, Mannar, and Vavuniya though Sri Lankan government permission is needed to visit these areas plus Jaffna.
The decision came following a security assessment led by Deputy High Commissioner Mark Gooding, who visited the Northern provinces in June.
The decision came following a security assessment led by Deputy High Commissioner Mark Gooding, who visited the Northern provinces in June.
Sri Lanka has experienced a near 50%increase in total visitor numbers this year. Of the 279,000 tourists so far this year, nearly 45,000 came from the UK.
A Sri Lankan Government spokesman said: "This decision marks yet another indication of the return to a state of peace in Sri Lanka following the end of our 30 year war against terrorism.
"The Sri Lankan Government has undertaken a range of actions since the end of the conflict including the scaling back of emergency regulations as well as tailored development initiatives specifically targeting the north of the island, to ensure security, normality and prosperity return to these beautiful regions of our island as soon as possible."
"The Sri Lankan Government has undertaken a range of actions since the end of the conflict including the scaling back of emergency regulations as well as tailored development initiatives specifically targeting the north of the island, to ensure security, normality and prosperity return to these beautiful regions of our island as soon as possible."
In more good news for the destination, the central highlands region comprising the Peak Wilderness Protected Area, Horton Plains National Park and Knuckles Conservation Forest was last week awarded UNESCO status.
The area was considered a ‘super biodiversity hotspot’.
This brings the number of World Heritage Sites in the country to eight.
by Debbie Ward
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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