Tourism took off in Sri Lanka, which boasts of a 1,600-km (1,000-mile) long coastline, following the end of the decades-long civil war with Tamil separatists in 2009.

Item 1 of 10 Empty sunbathing chairs are seen on a beach near hotels in a tourist area in Bentota, Sri Lanka May 2, 2019. Picture take May 2, 2019. REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte ...

Tourism accounts for 4.9% of Sri Lanka’s GDP. Last year, 2.3 million tourists visited the island, generating $4.4 billion in revenues, a nearly 12% jump from 2017.

Travel Sri Lanka’s tropical beaches, hotels empty after violence flares Originally published October 29, 2007 at 12:00 am Updated October 29, 2007 at 2:00 am ...