In a bid to place Sri Lanka as one of the most sought after holiday destinations in South Asia, Sri Lanka Tourism has launched a new tourism development project consisting of 14 unspoilt islands known as Kalpitiya located 150 kilometres north of Colombo.

The Kalpitiya Integrated Development Project (KITDP) will select the islands best suited for development to generate environment friendly sustainable tourism to satisfy the needs of a varied visitor profile. Working on a 10 to 12 year plan, Sri Lanka Tourism is currently in the process of finalising groundwork for this ambitious project.

There will be Botanical Gardens and a Marine Sanctuary for exotic tropical fish and the coral formations found in the shallow waters. During November to March each year the wetlands around the islands attract many species of local and migratory birds. Whales and dolphins can also be spotted without having to sail into the deep seas.

Chairman of Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority and Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, Bernard Goonetilleke said: �This project will not only develop the area which, has hitherto been un-explored but also provide employment to the people in the area, provide livelihood to the fishermen and improve the economic situation of Kalpitiya�

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