Colombo, Feb 18 (IANS): Sri Lanka has rolled out infrastructure development projects and innovative tourism promotion programmes in a bid to attract high-end tourists, the President's Media Division (PMD) said.

The PMD said in a press statement that President Ranil Wickremesinghe conducted a tour of Tangalle and Galle areas on Saturday to assess tourism industry resurgence on the southern coast of the country, Xinhua news agency reported.

During the tour, the President visited several tourist hotels, talking with owners to understand their challenges first hand, the PMD added.

The PMD said the tourism sector in Sri Lanka faced a rapid downturn due to the Covid-19 pandemic and economic challenges.

With the government's new initiatives, there has been a significant surge in tourist arrivals, said the PMD, adding that more than 1.4 million tourists visited Sri Lanka in 2023.

Building on this momentum, the government aims to surpass the peak of 2.5 million tourists in 2017, with plans underway to achieve this milestone by 2024, the PMD said.