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Foreign tourists are reported to be arriving in large numbers to Trincomalee, lured by its scenic attractions, despite the negative reports propagated by the LTTE abroad. Several hoteliers in the area said that regular tourist groups continue to visit the area as it is one of the most beautiful tourist attractions in the world. Also they stated that the foreigners who visit annually still visit Trincomalee, despite these negative reports abroad. "As long as visitors cooperate with the security checks there are no problems," they added. Troops deployed in several check points also said that there was no ill feeling among the Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim families living in these areas. "We have no problem. We live in harmony in areas inhabited by the Tamil and Muslim communities. It's sad that people in Colombo think otherwise," they said. According to political sources, despite LTTE attempts to tarnish the image of Sri Lanka abroad, tourist arrivals in the past few years have gathered momentum. In 1999, Sri Lanka had achieved the highest growth in tourist arrivals in Asia by a 14.5% growth rate to 436,440 tourist arrivals. The Tourism Industry is Sri Lanka's fourth major foreign exchange earner which has recorded an income of Rs. 80 billion during the 1994-1999 period. Also the government has targeted 535,000 tourist arrivals in the year 2000 while the constructing more hotels rooms to accommodate the increasing influx of tourists have also begun.
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