Gujarat invites Sri Lanka to develop Coastal Tourism in the state

According to an IANS report, Gujarat's tourism department has sought Sri Lanka's help in developing resorts along its coastline given the island nation's vast experience in running several resorts and spas along its beaches, an official said yesterday. According to the tourism official, the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (STDA) has been invited to develop resorts comprising world class facilities along Gujarat's 1,600 kms coastline that is dotted with beaches, whose tourism potential remains untapped.

“The Gujarat government had already signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the STDA to seek cooperation from its tourism industry leaders for developing resorts in Gujarat,” the official told IANS. A proposal has been mooted by Sri Lanka's tourism industry leaders to tour Gujarat's long coastline to study the feasibility of setting up resorts or even help Indian entrepreneurs set up hotels there, he added. Apart from being keen to help develop tourist hotspots in Gujarat, STDA also carried out an elaborate campaign to promote its leisure destinations during the Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit that concluded in Ahmedabad earlier this month.