Sri Lanka - Economy and Position in the International Tourism Market

This diploma thesis deals with the economy and the position of Sri Lanka in the international tourism market. The aim of the thesis is to analyze the performance of Sri Lankan economy and the country's position in the international tourism market. The thesis also concentrates on assessing the competitiveness of both the economy and the tourism industry. The development of the country is analyzed since the end of the civil war. The first chapter theoretically defines key concepts related to the issue of international tourism. The second chapter deals with the economy of Sri Lanka. Firstly, the structure of economy is introduced. Secondly, macroeconomic indicators and international trade are assessed and thirdly, the competitiveness of Sri Lankan economy is analyzed. The third chapter deals with tourism in Sri Lanka. After the presentation of tourism preconditions, the economic characteristics of the sector and of its impact on the national economy follow. The organizational structure and the tourism competitiveness are evaluated afterwards. Finally, SWOT analysis of the tourism industry in Sri Lanka is conducted