The number of tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka went up 67.7 % to 57,300 in the month of February 2010, compared to February 2009 which was only 34,169, according to the latest figures released by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority.

Figures showed an increase in the number of arrivals from Western Europe, South Asia, East Asia, Middle East and North America.

Tourists from Western Europe, the traditional tourist generating market, rose 71.7 percent to 26,850 in February 2010. The number of visitors from the UK went up 46.3 percent to 10,700, those from France up 104 percent to 3,440 and from Germany up 122 percent to 5,656.

South Asian visitors rose to 66.6 percent i.e. 11,869 with tourists from India up by 94.9 percent to 8,383, from Maldives up 20 percent to 2,500 and from Pakistan up 34 percent to 609.

Arrivals from Australasia went up 32 percent to 2,067 and from East Asia up by 93.7 percent to 6,104. Japanese visitors increased 50.6 percent to 1,306, visitors from Malaysia rose 420 percent to 1,191.

Visitors from Singapore rose 112 percent to 829.

Sri Lanka was recently ranked as the number one tourist destination by the 'New York Times' in its list of "31 Places to go in 2010".

Tourist arrivals in the country increased sharply from May 2009 after defeating terrorism, ending Sri Lanka's 30-year war.