COLOMBO, July 12 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka can overcome extreme poverty by further developing its tourism industry which has emerged as one of the leading foreign exchange earners, Chairman of Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB), Kishu Gomes, was quoted by local media as saying Friday.
Speaking to local journalists, Gomes said 40 percent of the population in Sri Lanka were unable to afford three decent meals a day while 20 percent could not afford to have one decent meal a day.
"With such poverty, the only industry this country can depend on is tourism. Expatriate remittances have been declining sharply over the past three years and the apparel sector is not faring well due to competition," Gomes said.
"Without tourism there is no way our economy can survive," he added.
According to official statistics from the SLTPB, over 2 million Sri Lankans are either directly or indirectly employed in the tourism sector.
The Sri Lankan government recently said it is aiming to attract 2.5 million tourists to the island country this year.
India, Britain and China were the leading markets for Sri Lanka's tourism.
