The first travel guide on Sri Lanka in the Arabic language was launched at the Sri Lanka pavilion in the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai yesterday (4 May).

The guide book titled “Sri Lanka: The Most Beautiful Island in the World,” is a 205-page guide book on Sri Lanka.

Arabian Travel Market (ATM) opened yesterday at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, and will run until May 7 said the Trade Arabia News Service.

According to Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority statistics Middle East Tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka surged 50% in January, 2010 compared to the same period last year. It also indicated that tourists from the Middle East registered the highest growth rate from January to November 2009, standing at 48.8 percent.