Dhaka, May 9 -- Sri Lanka will be designating 49 additional official tourism zones. The new areas will be published in a gazette in a month as part of the ongoing efforts of the country to boost tourism.

State Tourism Minister Diana Gamage said this during a media briefing in Colombo.

"We have identified 49 additional tourist destinations for the advancement of our tourism industry," Gamage mentioned.

"These sites will be designated as tourism zones and will be officially published in the gazette within a month. Through this initiative, we aim to bolster tourist arrival into our country and promote its diverse attractions."

Sri Lanka has already identified 15 tourism zones; however, all are located in the coastal area around the islan...