Sri Lankan government to develop Mannar into a tourism hub

Saturday, August 4, 2018

The Sri Lankan government will develop the former war-torn northern district of Mannar into a tourism hub by modernizing its infrastructure and preserving key attractions, as said by Tourism Minister John Amaratunga on Thursday.

 
Amaratunga said that he will be sending officials from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority to Mannar to estimate how the government should conserve attractions and develop the district for tourism.

 
Among the key attractions to be promoted are the popular Adam’s Bridge, the Wilpattu National Park, the Madhu Church, Hindu Temples, colonial architecture, marine resources, Mannar culture and the baobab tree.

 
To quote Amaratunga, “We want to bring investors to Mannar to open hotels, restaurants and recreation centers.”

 
Amaratunga said that while the government will work to increase investor interest in Mannar tourism, it will also support the improvement of home stay units.

 
The government will also work on improving the basic infrastructure of Mannar in the form of better roads, electricity and water accessibility.

 
The minister also cited lack of air connectivity to Mannar as a reason for the district’s poor tourism performance.

 
He said that the Hingurakgoda Airport in north central Sri Lanka will be opened up for domestic air traffic.

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