COLOMBO, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka will launch a new program early next year to develop and upgrade the island's main airports in order to boost local and international tourism, Minister of Industrial Exports, Investment Promotion, Tourism and Aviation Prasanna Ranatunga said here Tuesday.
Ranatunga told Xinhua that with Sri Lanka aiming to attract at least 10 million tourists per year by 2025, the government would look to expand and develop the existing airports, namely the Bandaranaike International Airport, on the outskirts of the capital, the Jaffna International Airport in the north, the Mattala international airport, in the south and the Batticaloa Airport in the east.
"Further development of these airports will not only help tourism growth, but it will also strengthen internal air transportation. This will be vital for business as well," Ranatunga said.
The minister further said that with a free trade zone proposed to be set up close to the Mattala international airport, in the south, the government would invite more international airlines to land there in order to attract investors.
Last week, Ranatunga said Sri Lanka was aiming to attract at least 2.5 million tourists by next year and 10 million tourists by 2025, and it will look to boost arrivals from India and China.
