Lonely Planet, one of the world’s prominent travellers’ magazines has named Sri Lanka as the Top Country to Travel in 2019. The travel guide book which has been in print for over 45 years has attributed Sri Lanka’s achievement to reasons such as, new hotels, better transport links and increasing activities, particularly to draw tourists and for services offered to them.
Commenting on the guidebook publisher ’s annual Best in Travel awards, the Guardian, UK, says: “Already, notable to intrepid travellers for its mix of religions and cultures, its timeless temples, its rich and accessible wildlife, its growing surf scene and its people who defy all odds by their welcome and friendliness after decades of civil conflict, this is a country revived,” says Lonely Planet author Ethan Gelber in the Best in Travel 2019 book, published on Oct 23.
“Unmissable experiences” include wildlife, such as the 300-strong elephant gathering at the Minneriya National Park, a thousand-year old Buddhist monuments, and hiking and train travel through the Hill Country’s tea plantations.
Tourist visits to Sri Lanka have increased from 447,890 in 2009 to an all time high of 2.1 million last year, a figure the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority hopes to double by 2020. Renovations made to the rail system have opened up Jaffna and much of the North for the first time since 1990 – an area that was previously considered too dangerous for tourists.
The scenic rail routes in Sri Lanka are now widely thought to be some of the best in the world. Motorways have also been built as far south as Matara, and the number of domestic flight routes has increased in recent years; for instance, from the capital Colombo, on the east coast to Batticaloa, which is on the opposite of the island, in 45 minutes.
There has also been a huge investment in new visitor accommodation; from home-stays to high-end eco retreats – such as, the Wild Coast Lodge’s cocoon-like buildings in the Yala National Park. Major international hotel chains are all opening new properties.
Sri Lanka’s surf scene has been steadily growing, as more of the coast has become accessible, and tour operators are now offering jungle hiking, alongside yoga breaks with traditional Ayurveda treatments. There are also plenty of free attractions, including colourful puja rituals on the clifftop of Koneswaram Kovil in Trincomalee in the North East; Colombo’s main market of Pettah; and the fortified walls surrounding the colonial old town of Galle in the south.
While the ratio of tourists to residents is relatively low compared with countries where over tourism is now a major issue, some conservationists have expressed concern over the speed of development in certain areas.
Over tourism has affected popular tourist destinations particularly in Europe where the tourist surge has been overwhelming and beyond control.
Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel lists the top 10 countries, cities and regions alongside other travel experiences for the year ahead, ranked by the staff of Lonely Planet, including editors and contributors from around the world. Germany is rated second in the countries list, with a nod to the centenary of Bauhaus next year, and Zimbabwe.