CHAPTER 1 : INTRODUCTION

Economic integration is the unification of economic policies between different states through the partial or full abolition of tariff and non-tariff restrictions on trade taking place among them prior to their integration. This is meant in turn to lead to lower prices for distributors and consumers with the goal of increasing the combined economic productivity of the states. The trade stimulation effects intended by means of economic integration are part of the contemporary economic Theory of the Second Best where, in theory, the best option is free trade, with free competition and no trade barriers whatsoever. Free trade is treated as an idealistic option, and although realized within certain developed states, economic integration has been thought of as the "second best" option for global trade where barriers to full free trade exist. The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is an organization of South Asian nations, which was established on 8 December 1985 when the government of Bangladesh , Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka formally adopted its charter providing for the promotion of economic and social progress, cultural development within the South Asia region and also for friendship and cooperation with other developing countries. It is dedicated to

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economic, technological, social, and cultural development emphasizing collective self-reliance. Its seven founding members are Sri Lanka, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Afghanistan joined the organization in 2007. Meetings of heads of state are usually scheduled annually; meetings of foreign secretaries, twice annually. It is headquartered in Kathmandu, Nepal. One of the SAARC areas of cooperation is TOURISM. OBJECTIVES: SAARC was established to achieve the following objectives: 1. To promote the welfare of the peoples of South Asia and to improve their quality of life. 2. To accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region and to provide all individuals the opportunity to live in dignity and to realise their full potential. 3. To promote and strengthen collective self-reliance among the countries of south asia. 4. To contribute to mutual trust, understanding and appreciation of one anothers problem. 5. To promote active collaboration and mutual assistance in the economic, social, cultural, technical, and scientific fields. 6. To strengthen cooperation with other developing countries. 7. To strengthen cooperation among themselves in international forums on matters of common interests. 8. To cooperate with international and regional organizational with similar aims.

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The important principles which govern the SAARC are: 1. Respect for sovereignty , territorial integrity, political equality and independence of all members states. 2. Non-interference in the internal matters is one of its objectives. 3. Cooperation for mutual benefit. 4. All decisions to be taken unanimously and need a quorum of all eight members. 5. All bilateral issues to be kept aside and only multilateral(involving many countries) Issues to be discussed without being prejudiced by bilateral issues.

SECRETARIAT: The SAARC secretariat was established in Kathmandu on 16 january 1987 and was inaugurated by late king Birendra bir bikram shah of Nepal. It is headed by a secretary general appointed by the council of ministers from member countries in alphabetical order for a three year term. He is assisted by the professional and the general services staff and also an appropriate number of functional units called divisions assigned to directors on deputation from member states. The secretariat coordinates and monitors implementation of activities, prepares for and services meetings, and serves as a channel of communication between the association and its member states as well as other regional organizations.

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The memorandum of understanding on the establishment of the secretariat which was signed by foreign ministers of member countries on 17 November 1986 at Bangalore, India contains various clauses concerning the role, structure and administration of the SAARC secretariat as well as the powers of the secretary general.

In several recent meetings the heads of state or government of member state of SAARC have taken some important decisions and bold initiatives to strengthen the organization and to widen and deepen regional cooperation.

The SAARC secretariat and member states observe 8 december as the SAARC charter day 1.

SOUTH ASIAN FREE TRADE AREA: The agreement on SAFTA is an agreement reached at the 12th SAARC summit at Islamabad on 6th January 2004. It creates a framework for the creation of a free trade area among SAARC countries. SAFTA came into effect on 1st January 2006 with the aim of reducing tariffs for intraregional trade among 7 SAARC countries. SAFTA requires that india, Pakistan and srilanka to bring down their duties to 20 percent in the 1st phase of two years period ending in 2007. In the final five year phase trading 2012, the 20 percent duty will have to be reduced to zero in a series of annual cuts. The least developed country group in south Asia consisting of Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Maldives, and Afghanistan gets an additional 3 years to reach zero duty.

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CURRENT STATES:

Afghanistan

Bangladesh

Bhutan

India

Maldives

Nepal

Pakistan

Srilanka

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CHAPTER 2 : HISTORY, ORIGIN OF SAARC

ORIGIN: The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation(SAARC) is an organization of south asian nations, founded in december 1985, and dedicated to economic technological, social, and cultural development emphasizing collective self reliance. Its seven founding members are Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Srilanka. Afghanistan joined the organization in 2005. Meetings of heads of state are usually scheduled; annually , meetings of foreign secretariats, twice annually. It is headquartered in Kathmandu, Nepal. The 11 states area of cooperation are: agriculture, education, culture and sports, health , population, and child welfare, the environment and meteorology, rural development(including the SAARC volunteers program), tourism, transport, science and technology, communications.

HISTORY: The concept of SAARC was first adopted by Bangladesh during 1977, under the administration of president Ziaur Rahman. In the late 1970s SAARC nations agreed upon the creation of trade bloc consisting of south asian countries.The idea of a South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation was mooted in 1980. The Foreign Ministers of the future SAARC countries met at Colombo in 1981 to discuss the issue of regional cooperation and agreed upon the principles of unanimity in decision making and Keeping bilateral disputes out of the framework of regional cooperation.

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The Integrated Programme of Action (IPA) was endorsed in a Foreign Secretary meeting held at Dhaka in August 1982. The IPA identified eleven areas of cooperation agriculture, communications, education-culture-sports, environment and meteorology, health and population activities, prevention of drug trafficking and drug abuse, rural development, science and technology, tourism, transport, and women in development. To translate the objectives enshrined in the Charter the Foreign Ministers of member countries met in Colombo for the first Preparatory meeting of SAARC. They agreed on the agenda for SAARC, which included issues like rural development, agriculture, meteorology, telecommunication, health and population, science and technology, transport, and posts & telegraph services. The third meeting held in Thimpu agreed on sports, arts and culture, and planning and development, which were incorporated into the list of areas for cooperation. The Thimpu meeting also led to agreement on the creation of an institutional framework for SAARC and decided the venue and the dates of the first SAARC summit. After these three preparatory meetings the SAARC summit was held in Dhaka in 1985. The SAARC Charter envisages that cooperation among member-states will be based on sovereign equality, territorial integrity, political independence and non-interference in internal affairs. The Charter further states that regional cooperation shall not substitute for bilateral or multilateral cooperation or be inconsistent with them but rather it should compliment them. SAARC charter day is celebrated on December 8 every year. The charter was adopted in the first SAARC summit held in Dhaka in 1985.

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OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY We study In this project report we will study TOURISM development in one of the SAARC countries :SRILANKA.what are its tourist attractions , sustainable tourism development

RATIONALE BEHIND THE STUDY The age old civilization, prosperous cultural diversity, exclusive culinary delights, vast geographical attractions, fascinating heritage sites and above all the warm hospitality of people make the South Asian countries an amazing region for tourism. This report is about Saarc tourism of Srilanka.

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CHAPTER 3 : RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

It refers to the method adopted to collect the relevant data and other information , which forms the basis of thesis writing. So for the effective writing of the thesis report, the data must be quality oriented. My research is done through 2stages: Stage I: Data source Secondary data: Secondary data represents information that already exists somewhere, having been collected for another purpose. The secondary sources that came to be utilized by in these were as follows: I. Internal sources:

II.

Economics and global trade and finance book.

External sources: Internet services

Stage II: Analysis In this stage all collected data had been analyzed and then a report had been written.

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COMPILATION OF DATA COLLECTED One of the areas of cooperation of SAARC is TOURISM. The importance of tourism had been recognized since early days of SAARC. The Leaders during the Second Summit held at Bangalore in 1986 underlined that concrete steps should be taken to facilitate tourism in the region.A Technical Committee on Tourism was created in 1991. South Asia Tourism Society. South Asia Tourism Society (SATS) is an organization, working relentlessly and selflessly to promote Trade and Tourism between the nations in the SAARC Association. On account of promoting tourism in the SAARC nations, we provide significant information to the people, helping them to know one another better. We are thankful to all the sources including the official website of SAARC, from where we have gathered some relevant information, which helped us to promote tourism at its best. Altogether, we are an entirely independent organization and nowhere connected to any of the official organizations of SAARC. We at SATS, encourage people of South Asia to work together in a spirit of friendship, trust and understanding leading to peace & progress in the region, through our selfless service in promoting Trade & Tourism in the region. In our pursuit to excellence, we aim to intensify the process of social-economic development in the SAARC Countries by promoting active collaboration and mutual assistance in the economic, social, cultural, technical and scientific fields.

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We at SATS, have commissioned some of the best brains in the industry to promote tourism for the development & progress of tourism in the South Asian region. Our activities helps in exchange of useful information between the SAARC Countries, leading to socio-economic development of the countries in the SAARC Association. Our team of experts strive to contribute substantially to the Tourism industry of the region, by making it an increasingly desired tourist destination of the world. Their uncompromising service, helps us in binding the history & culture of the nations by encouraging good neighborly relationship among the member states.

We have recognized that increased cooperation, contacts and exchanges of information among the countries of the region will contribute to the promotion of friendship and understanding among the people of the region. We are supported by our proficient workers, who are on their forefront, to reaffirm the determination of the SAARC Association on Tourism, by promoting tourism within an institutional framework. SATS is here to accelerate the economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region and to provide all individuals with growing and satisfying information about the region on tourism.

Through our itinerary of information, we aspire to promote tourism in urban as well as in the rural areas. We are desirous of promoting tourism to the far reaching areas in all the SAARC nations, which will improving the lifestyle of the people in the region.Through our significant informations and guidance, we are desirous of providing better way of life in all the corners of the SAARC nations.

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The information provided by us are aimed towards tourism, to make it a way of life in the region. We hope that our honest service and authentic information, will promote business, employment and will open doors for many more other activities in the South Asian region, leading to advancement of human life. We are always at out forefront to avail you with all required information regarding tourism, as and when needed.

We thank SAARC for its inclusion of Tourism within the boundary of IPA (Integrated Programme of Action). We are highly obliged and at the same time thankful to SAARC for the informations we have collected from their sites. We highly appreciate their contribution, they have done to us through their informations, leading to our success in the business and overall development of tourism industry in the region. We are in no intention of doing any abdicable business with any of the informations. We revalue their part and reassure them of not being unfriendly, something which leads to undesirable circumstances. To comply with the SAARC curriculum, we constantly review the progress on the SAARC Scheme for Promotion of Organized Tourism in the area. In our pursuit to excellence, we endeavor to promote and strengthen Tourism in the countries of SOUTH ASIA, leading to significant progress in all the quarters of development.

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Tourism
The importance of tourism had been recognized since early days of SAARC. The Leaders during the Second Summit held at Bangalore in 1986 underlined that concrete steps should be taken to facilitate tourism in the region.A Technical Committee on Tourism was created in 1991. During the First Meeting of the Technical Committee on Tourism held in Colombo in October 1991, an Action Plan on Tourism was formulated. 1. First Meeting of the SAARC Tourism Ministers was held in Colombo in September

1997. It adopted Colombo Resolution and approved a number of important activities. In 1999, the task of promoting tourism was assigned to the SAARC Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI) Tourism Council. 2. The Twenty-fourth Session of the Council of Ministers (Islamabad, 2-3 January 2004)

approved establishment of the Working Group on Tourism. The First Meeting was held in Colombo in August 2004. The Working Group on Tourism prepared Plan of Activities which includes promotion of SAARC as a common tourist destination, to encourage private sector in promoting regional cooperation in tourism, human resource development, promotion of South Asia identity through tourism, cultural and eco-tourism development. The Working Group was authorized to periodically review implementation of this Action Plan.

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3.

During the Thirteenth Summit (Dhaka, 12-13 November 2005), the Leaders stressed that

continued efforts would be made by the Member States at all levels to promote people-to-people contact by facilitating travel among SAARC countries, promotion of youth exchanges in culture and sports, promotion of intra-SAARC tourism, establishment of linkages among professional bodies and through adoption of other concrete measures. They decided to launch 2006 as South Asia Tourism Year." They directed their Ministers for Tourism to meet at an early date and elaborate a plan of activities to be undertaken during the year 2006. 4. The Tourism Ministers who met at Coxs Bazar (Bangladesh) in May 2006, adopted the

Coxs Bazar SAARC Action Plan on Tourism. 5. Second Meeting of the Working Group on Tourism, held in Colombo on 3-4 July 2006,

recommended that for promoting SAARC as common tourist destination (i) national airlines may use SAARC logo on aircrafts and other promotional brochures; (ii) national airlines may also use SAARC flag with their own flag as well as national flags at their offices and (iii) the Head of Mission representing the Chair of SAARC will organize special events in celebration of SAARC Charter Day on 8 December, with focus on promoting tourism. 6. In the Fourteenth Summit the Heads of State or Government while noting the cultural and

social ties among the SAARC countries, based on common history and geography, reiterated that the future of peoples of South Asia is interlinked. They stressed the importance of people-topeople contact as a key constituent in regional connectivity.

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They acknowledged the importance of intra-regional tourism and increased exchanges, particularly among the youth, civil society, and parliamentarians. They agreed to take measures to charge nationals of SAARC Member States fees for entry into archeological and heritage sites as applicable to their own nationals. 7. The Heads of State or Government during the Fifteenth Summit underscored the vital

contribution that tourism could afford to the economic development of the SAARC region. They agreed to make every effort to implement the comprehensive action plan adopted by the Second Ministerial Meeting held at Coxs Bazaar, Bangladesh. These efforts would include facilitating the movement of people through improved travel infrastructure and air, sea and land connectivity among the SAARC countries, collaboration in human resource development and the promotion of SAARC as a common destination through public-private partnerships and joint campaigns. 8. The Working Group in its Third Meeting held in Colombo in April 2009 reviewed the

status of implementation of the Summit directives, SAARC Action Plan on tourism, and various decisions taken by the Ministerial and Working Group Meetings. It also finalized a list of activities to be undertaken during the year 2009-10 for tourism promotion among the SAARC countries. 9. Third Meeting of the SAARC Tourism Ministers, preceded by Fourth Meeting of the

Working Group on Tourism was held at Kathmandu in January 2011. The Meeting reviewed implementation of the decisions taken at its last meeting.

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It also reviewed the status of implementation of the SAARC Action Plan on Tourism-2006 and noted with satisfaction that most of the decisions taken earlier have been implemented by the Member States. 10. The Minister/ leaders of the delegations in their statements emphasized that concerted

efforts should be made by Member States to implement all decisions taken by this Forum as well as the Working Group Meetings. They reiterated to adopt a collective approach in promoting regional tourism.

On December 8 1985, an association named SAARC was introduced for the social, technological and economic development of the South Asian countries. For further innovative ideas, the heads of these countries decided to meet once every year and the meeting was named Saarc summit. 17

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Coined as South Asian Association For Regional Cooperation this group consisted of South Asian countries like India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Maldives as the Saarc nations. Further this group also started working on the development of these countries as the prominent travel destinations. There are about 45 leading tour operators from India, Maldives, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan participating in the conclave. The conclave is focusing on various strategies to promote tourist destinations and products in the SAARC region. "We must motivate each SAARC country in such a way that tourism becomes the focus of economic and political agenda," he said.

Acknowledging the potential of the region, Sahai said that SAARC nations have immense growth potential, which till date has not been fully utilized. "If it could be fully utilized in all possible ways, the SAARC region has the potential to steer the economy of the world. The cultural diversity of the SAARC region is unique, and the combination of scenic landscapes, natural beauty, and ethnic multiplicity - only add to its international appeal. "All these facts unite to make the SAARC region a great tourist attraction. In fact, most SAARC nations have already realized this potential at individual level but with a concerted effort, the success culminated would be many folds," he said.

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The seven-member countries are an important source market for India as 1,013,516 tourists from SAARC region visited India in 2011 as compared to 9, 98,179 in 2010. SAARC TOURISM: The age old civilization, prosperous cultural diversity, exclusive culinary delights, vast geographical attractions, fascinating heritage sites and above all the warm hospitality of people make the South Asian countries an amazing region for tourism. SAARC NATIONS: Saarc Tourism, an esteemed portal provides comprehensive travel information on these South Asian Countries that together form the "Saarc Countries". The portal serves as your holiday planner to any of these Saarc nations, highlighting the prominent natural, archaeological, spiritual attractions as well as the top tourist activities. Saarc Tourism also lists out numerous exciting travel packages for international tourists interested in exploring the treasures of South Asia. One of the south asian country is srilanka . Climate : Since Sri Lanka is a tropical country, you can expect the rain anytime of the year in most parts. However, the two major rainy seasons are North-East monsoon (October to January) and South-West monsoon (May to July).Being an island, the climate of Sri Lanka changes dramatically from one part of the country to another. For example atNuwara Eliya, in the hills of Central Sri Lanka, has a temperature around -5-20 C throughout the year, whereas Hambanthota, located in the dry zone, has a temperature consistently around 30-35 C.

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SRILANKA:

Amongst the top Saarc countries from tourism point of view, Sri Lanka is also one of the most visited tourists destinations in the world. Surrounded by water all around, Sri Lanka is situated in the midst of Arabian Sea. The most remarkable features of Sri Lanka is the beauty of its exotic beaches. The island country's rich cultural heritage and majestic landscape makes it an amazing tourists destinations. The world famous Maria band of Sri Lanka will surely get your booty pooping to its beats. Here Few places in the world can offer the traveller such a remarkable combination of stunning landscapes, pristine beaches, captivating cultural heritage and unique experiences within such a compact location. Within a mere area of65, 610 kilometres lie 8 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, 1,330 kilometres of coastline - much of it pristine beach

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15 national parks showcasing an abundance of wildlife, nearly 500,000 acres of lush tea estates, 250 acres of botanical gardens, 350 waterfalls, 25,000 water bodies, to a culture that extends back to over 2,500 years. This is an island of magical proportions, once known as Serendib, Taprobane, the Pearl of the Indian Ocean, and Ceylon .Check out Sri Lanka general information about its inspiring Buddhist culture including fine arts and crafts, abundance of wildlife, ancient cities to colonial forts and Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. Also know about the area of Sri Lanka, its capital, monetary unit, population, government, national flag, anthem, ethnic blending, climate and industries. This info would surely help you to better understand the country when you tour Sri Lanka.

Attractions of srilanka: Adams peak:

Adam's Peak is considered sacred by the adherents of all four major religions: Buddhists, Hindus, Christians and Muslims. At the top of peak is a platform where a Buddhist temple and the shrine of Saman is located.
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All people in Sri Lanka have regard for Adam's Peak. No matter whether the person is Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist or Christian, they have regard for Adam's Peak. The mountain which is also known as Sri Pada, enjoys reverence all over Sri Lanka.

Beaches:

Prominent beaches of Sri Lanka are Mt. Lavinia, Negombo on West Coast and Beruwala, Bentota and Hikkaduwa on South Coast. Underwater beauty makes Hikkaduwa attractive. Mt. Lavinia and Negombo are popular among tourists.

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Pinnawala elephant orphanage:

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage is among the biggest herds of captive elephants in the world. Elephants are taken to the river everyday for bathing. Baby elephants are fed and bathed by their human proctectors.

Temple of Tooth:

Buddhists in Sri Lanka give highest regard to the Temple of Tooth. Visited by hundreds of pilgrims everyday, the temple was built in decades. The shrince holds the tooth relic of Lord Buddha. The shrince has been refurbished.

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Archaeological Wonders:

Archaeological past of Sri Lanka manifests itself in the colossal stupas and stone structures. The country has seen several phases of history and with every phase it witnessed some new monuments.

Museums:

Museums give us insight into the past of Sri Lanka. They tell us how the country has evolved since ancient times. Particular for the people interested in history these museums are source of joy. Tour these museums.

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Pilgrimage:

Popular pilgrimage centres among the people of Sri Lanka are Temple of Tooth, Adam's Peak, Bogoda Bridge and Temple, Buduruwagala, Down Cave Temple and Muthiyangana. First two are most popular.

Sinharaja Forest:

Sinharaja Rain Forest, lying over the area of about 11187 hectares, has always been a preferred destination of the eco lovers. Having great diversity of flora and fauna, the forest is the home of several beasts.
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FOOD OF SRILANKA:

Food of Sri Lanka is hot and spicy. Base food of the inhabitants of the island is rice which they consume with curry both veg and fish based. All the dishes are cooked on the base of coconut milk and flavored by liberal use of spices. Like all the people of coastal regions, the Sri Lankans are also expert in preparing fish dishes. Mallung, Sambol, Lamprais, Buriyani and Polos Pehi are some popular dishes of Sri Lanka. Sri Lankans also like several juicy sweetmeats like Kavum, Halape, Thalaguli and Wattalapam. Sri Lankans also like to have drinks like tea and coffee.

Curry Curry accompanies the dishes of meat, vegetables or fish. Number of spices, all roasted and then stone-ground come together to prepare these curries. Coconut milk forms the base of this curry. Fresh herbs and garnishes flavour these curries. Basic items like chicken, beef, mutton, eggs or vegetables are cooked in a thick sauce of coconut milk with all the ingredient spices. There is plenty of variety in fish curries across the region. The Sri Lankans have their own distinctive style of preparing fish curries. Southern ambul thiyal or sour fish curry is very famous. Vegetarian curries are prepared from very available fruit or vegetable like brinjals, beans, beetroot, carrot, banana flower, pumpkin etc.

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Curries in Sri Lanka are very hot. However, adjustments are made to suit the foreign palate. Ingredients of curries include chilli powder, fresh chillies, cinnamon, tumeric, curry powder, curry leaves, onions, garlic, ginger and coconut milk. Rice Rice is the staple food of the Sri Lankans. Almost every household in Sri Lanka takes rice and curry as its main meal. Rice too comes in plenty of variety. Samba is a pearly rice consumed on special occasions. On festivals yellow rice is cooked on the base of coconut milk and delicately flavoured by spices. Kiribath or milk-rice is a popular festive dish. Large grained milchard variety of rice gives a slightly pungent smell when cooked.

Fish Dishes People of coastal towns consume delicious fresh fish with prawsn, crabs and lobsters. Fried fish is eaten with chips and salad while fish curry is taken with rice. Sour fish curry is a popular dish of southern Sri Lanka. Tuna, seer and para fish are very popular among the natives of Sri Lanka.

Popular Dishes Mallung is fondly eaten with curries. Prepared from finely shredded green vegetables and dried shrimps, it is mingled with grated coconut and spices. Sambol is a spicy hot dish. Pol Symbol is a simple combination of grated coconut, onions, red pepper, lime and salt. Seeni Sambol is a juicy combination of Maldive fish preserve and spicy onion.
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27The Sri Lankans are fond of eating wafers, pickles and chutneys with their food. Lamprais is a dish with unique flavour. Plenty of ingredients including curries, cutlets, sambols, special prawn paste, eggplant curry and rice are kept together in a banana leaf and baked. Buriyani is rice cooked in meat stock. Polos Pehi is a dish made of the tender fruit of the jak tree. Several juicy sweetmeats are also part of the island's cuisine. Kavum is a battercake made of ground rice and treacle. Halape is a blending of coconut, jaggery and floor. Thalaguli is a confectionary ball. Many Indian sweetmeats are also found in Sri Lanka, specially in Colombo and Kandy. Wattalapam is a mouth-watering dessert. Curd and treacle is also very much liked by the visitors. Scrunchy sandwiches, delicious biscuits, potato chips and sausages are used as snacks by the Sri Lankans.

Fruits Several varieties of fruits are found in Sri Lanka. One can enjoy fruits like mangoes, pineapple, water melon, papaya, woodapple, bananas (also known as plantains), and rambuttan (a fruit resembling lychees). Some of these fruits are found only in Sri Lanka.

Drinks Sri Lanka is among the topmost producers of tea in the world. Usually, it is consumed with sugar and milk. Some people are fond of taking 'plain tea' which means tea only with sugar and without milk. Crushed ginger can add more flavour to the tea.

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The Sri Lankans also like to have coffee. Colombo is a place to enjoy really good espresso. Indigenous cold drinks in Sri Lanka are made of fresh fruit. Bottled carbonated branded drinks like Coca-Cola, Sprite, Pepsi etc. are also widely available. Carbonated drink brands Elephant House and Ginger Beer are very popular in Sri Lanka. People also like drinking water of young coconut. Cut fresh they are delicious and nutritious too. An array of locally produced and imported beers are also available. Two local intoxicating drinks are Toddy and Arrack. Toddy is made out of palm trees while Arrack is fermented and refined toddy.

People of srilanka:

People of Sri Lanka can be categorised on two bases: ethnic groups and religion. On ethnic base biggest group are the Sinhalese and then the Tamils. On basis of religion followers of Buddhism form the largest community in Sri Lanka. As for education most rural people recieve traditional education. European government introduced western education in Sri Lanka.

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Ehtnic Groups People of Sri Lanka are divided into four ethnic groups. These are the Sinhalese, the Tamils, the Muslims, and the Burghers. According to a data collected in 2001 the population percentage in Sri Lanka is: Sinhalese 73.8%, Sri Lankan Moors 7.2%, Indian Tamil 4.6%, Sri Lankan Tamil 3.9%, other 0.5%, unspecified 10%. Two chief characteristics that mark a person's ethnic heritage are language and religion. Sinhals are the largest ethnic group in Sri Lanka. Historians have concluded that groups from north India who migrated to the island around 500BC were later known as Sinhals. Most Sinhals are the followers of Buddhism. Buddhist monasteries are the centres of cultural life for the Sinhalese. Forefathers of the Tamils migrated to Sri Lanka from southern India particularly Tamil Nadu. Most Tamils in Sri Lanka are Hindus. Lankan Tamils are united by their common religions beliefs, and the Tamil language and culture. As for the Lankan Muslims they have separate places of worship, religious and cultural heroes, ways of society, and even languages. Lankan Muslim community can be segregated into three main sections--the Sri Lankan Moors, the Indian Moors, and the Malays, each with its own history and rituals.

Religion Most inhabitants of Sri Lanka are the followers of Buddhism, most of them from Sinhala community. Them come the people who have embraced Islam as their religion. Most Tamil people in Sri Lanka follow Hinduism. Then commes the Christian community.

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According to 2001 census the percentage of the followers of various religions in Sri Lanka is as follows:

Buddhist 70%, Islam 8%, Hindu 7%, Christian 6%

Education Traditionally people were given only religious education. Among Sinhals learning was the job of Buddhist monks. They used to teach privileged students in the monasteries. Sinhala alphabet and Buddhist literature were taught to the students. As for the Tamil they took temples in village temples run by Brahmins. Professional training was limited to particular castes or families. It was imparted to the students of the arts like architecture or sculpture, for engineers, who applied geometrical knowledge to problems of irrigation and for craftsmen in various trades. European rulers introduced Western education in Sri Lanka.

The Dutch in particular set up a well-organised system of schools which provided elementary education. Later part of the 19th century saw several steps regarding education in the country. Many medical and law colleges were established. Private institutions were encouraged to adopt government policies. Traditional schools taught in Sinhala and Tamil, while private imparted English education. English education became the way to get administrative educations. However it was limited to elite section in the society.

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Common people continued to take education in native languages. According to data collected in 2003, literacy rate in Sri Lanka is 92%.

Business tourism in srilanka:

Many a time, tourism and business go together. A person can go for business purpose and also visit tourist destinations. Or one can go with tourism motives and once these, might decide to do some business too. And then businees tours are also a kind of tourism. This section on Business Tourism deals on the essential information on various topics. You can learn here about banking, communication, mode of payments and shipping in Sri Lanka.

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Sustainable tourism development project:

The Government of Sri Lanka envisions building tourism as an industry playing a significant role in the economic advancement of the country whilst preserving the countrys cultural values, ethos and its rich natural endowment. In view of the recent policy reforms to develop the competitiveness of the tourism sector in a sustainable manner, the World Bank has agreed with the Government of Sri Lanka to provide assistance for the implementation of the Sustainable Tourism Development Project (STDP). The Financing Agreement for this Project between the Government of Sri Lanka and the World Bank was signed on 8th November 2010. The overall objective of the STDP, which is in line with the Governments vision, is to strengthen the institutional framework of the tourism sector and to facilitate environmentally and socially sound tourism investments. The Project which spans over a period of 4 years covers funding under three components as set out below:

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(i) funding to improve the overall efficiency and efficacy of the institutional framework of Sri Lanka Tourism, (ii) provide essential highly localized tourism related infrastructure services in the East, (iii) improve and extend the product content and supply chain of the small and medium entrepreneurs (SMEs) related to the tourism industry.

The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority(SLTDA) is committed towards expanding and enhancing Sri Lanka's tourism market. Investment opportunities are rising, even as the country's political and economical environments stabilise.

Developing enterprises for tourism:

Sri Lanka is committed to developing its tourism industry. The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) was created in 2005, and today it fosters strong relations with the local and international tourism industry. SLTDA's goal is to promote Sri Lanka and its tourism resources to the world. Developing the current markets and creating new markets is vital and the SLTDA is focused on building market confidence, ensuring profitability and developing investor confidence amongst its various stakeholders.

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Developing and planning the markets:

The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) is committed to developing the current and potential new markets. Together with the Sri Lankan Government and the local and international media partners, the SLTDA offers investors various attractive and feasible trade support schemes and business opportunities. Currently, a strategic medium-term (10 years) infrastructure and product planning and development plan has been implemented for the tourism industry. This strategic plan is based on the market demand for high and mid-end markets. The plan hopes to gain profitability through better yields, sustain the integrity and value of Sri Lanka's natural, cultural and human resources, and to ensure the optimum visitor experiences. The SLTDA hopes that the benefits of the strategic plan will accrue to all communities who are connected with the tourism industry

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New strategic development plan for srilanka tourism: Ministry of Economic Development officially launched the Tourism Development Strategy for the next five years period of 2011-2016 at a grand ceremony held yesterday (05th Sep.) at the Cinnamon Lakeside hotel. A large gathering of tourism stakeholders including the industry representatives, diplomats, media and government officials were among those who graced the occasion and the strategy document was officially handed over by Chairman of Sri Lanka Tourism to the Economic Development Minister Hon. Basil Rajapaksa who was the chief guest of the event . According to the newly launched Tourism Development Strategy, the main target of the tourism sector in the next five years is to achieve a target number of 2.5 million tourists by 2016 being in line with the January 2010 visionary statement unveiled by Mahinda Chinthanaya spelling out plans for 2011 tourism development policy including details of Visit Sri Lanka 2011 initiative. The 5 year master plan Strategy document of Economic Development Ministry halfway through refers to 2020 plans as envisaged by Finance Ministry as well.

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The 36-page document puts together the expectations set for the development of tourism industry in the said time period covering all aspects of infrastructure development, standardization of products and services, improving the brand awareness and finally gearing all efforts towards achieving sustainability in the long run as booming sector directly contributing a large share to Sri Lankas Economic Development. Ministry of Economic Development is implementing the plan at the correct time to drive attention of all stakeholders to contribute to achieve the set goals spelt out in the publication focusing plans and targets until 2020. The initiatives and policies of the newly launched publication will act as a benchmark for tourism sector for the next five years to come with the stretched goal of preparing the industry to move forward to achieve targets specified up to year 2020. Addressing the gathering at the event Sri Lanka Tourism Chairman,Dr. Godahewa said in his speech that that the strategy document has clearly put together the expectations of the tourism industry for the next five years, so that all stakeholders could focus and work together to achieve the speicified goals. Tourism is a peoples industry as it benefits all. This strategy document will help align all to be focused on one direction with a common goal,Dr. Godahewa said. With a tag line Refreshingly Sri Lanka: The Wonder of Asia and as worlds most treasured island the specific strategies related to the five year plan are, 1) creating an environment conducive for tourism;

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2) attracting the right type of tourists; 3) ensuring that departing tourists are happy; 4) improving domestic tourism and 5) contributing towards improving the global image of Sri Lanka. The unique selling propositions of destination Sri Lanka are, 1) authenticity, 2) compactness and 3) diversity. The document quoting the visit 2011 campaign, says that Sri Lanka Tourism focuses on eight product categories under the theme 8 wonderful experienced in 8 wonderful days and they are Beaches (Pristine), Sports and Adventure (Thrills), Heritage sites (Heritage), Mind and Body wellness (Bliss), Scenic beauty (Scenic), Wild life and nature (Wild), People and Culture (Essence) and Year round festivals (Festive). At a time when Sri Lanka Tourism has achieved the target of 500,000 tourists in less than 8 months , the launch of the new tourism development strategy is seen as a welcome sign for the future of Tourism Industry in Sri Lanka.

Developing and training human resources:

Human resources are our fundamental resource! The lifeblood of Sri Lanka's tourism industry is its people.

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The people who serve tourism are the country's most attractive and vital force.

Keeping this in mind, the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) is dedicated to the development of human resources in the travel and tourism industry. Currently plans are in place to train potential individuals who would be able to serve in professional managerial and operational capacities in the industry.

Plans include the setting up of an Institute of Tourism, that is similar to institutes such as CIMA and CIM, working alongside the public and private sectors in determining the entry level qualifications for managerial positions, and for providing travel and tourism training in the travel, tourism and MICE management sectors

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CHAPTER 4 : FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FINDINGS: How SAARC tourism of srilanka has developed . Its tourists attractions, food , business tourism Sustainable tourism development New strategic development of tourism Developing and training human resources.

RECOMMENDATIONS: A common currency between SAARC countries similar to euro. Transport of vehicles between the SAARC region should be hassle free in terms of logistics and the entry exit procedure should be made user friendly. Joint promotion on SAARC region as a tourism product at international exhibitions. SAARC visa should be introduced.

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CHAPTER 5 :CONCLUSION

The age old civilization, prosperous cultural diversity, exclusive culinary delights, vast geographical attractions, fascinating heritage sites and above all the warm hospitality of people make the South Asian countries an amazing region for tourism. Amongst the top Saarc countries from tourism point of view, Sri Lanka is also one of the most visited tourists destinations in the world. In srilanka, tourism and business go together. The Government of Sri Lanka envisions building tourism as an industry playing a significant role in the economic advancement of the country whilst preserving the countrys cultural values, ethos and its rich natural endowment. Sri Lanka is committed to developing its tourism industry. Ministry of Economic Development officially launched the Tourism Development Strategy. The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority is also dedicated to the development of human resources in the travel and tourism industry. Hence, Tourism of srilanka is developing in many ways.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

http://www.saarctourism.org/ http://www.saarc-sec.org/areaofcooperation/cat-detail.php?cat_id=49 http://www.saarctourism.org/aboutus.html http://sri-lanka.saarctourism.org/ http://sri-lanka.saarctourism.org/sri-lanka-food.html

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