Sri Lankan Ambassador Ahmed A. Jawad told Arab News the aim of the program, organized by his embassy in coordination with the country’s tourism promotion bureau and SriLankan Airlines, was to attract more tourists from Saudi Arabia.

He was speaking at a reception in honor of the journalists late Saturday night.

There has been a significant increase in Saudi tourists visiting Sri Lanka. In 2009, 7,900 visited the island. “This is expected to increase this year,” Jawad added.

“With the end of the ethnic conflict, more people like to visit the island since peace has been restored in all parts of the country.”

As part of their program, the five journalists will visit sights and places including the northcentral part of the country, which boasts a rich history dating back thousands of years.

They are also expected to visit the northeast town of Trincomalee, which boasts some of the finest natural harbors and hot springs in the world, and Sigiriya, a fifth century UNESCO world heritage site that is 6,200 feet above sea level, among others.

The team led by embassy coordinator A.L.M. Jabeer will also visit the Pinnewela Elephant Orphanage, a uniquely successful project that has been preserving this endangered species since 1984. The orphanage boasts the largest herd of rehabilitated elephants in the world.

The journalists will also visit the Saudi Embassy in Colombo.

SriLankan Airlines Manager Indunil Wijekone said that this was an ideal opportunity for journalists in the Kingdom to see for themselves what Sri Lanka has to offer.

“The island of Sri Lanka is a small universe. It contains as many variations of culture, scenery and climate as some dozen countries a dozen times its size,” said the legendary science fiction writer and long time resident guest in Sri Lanka Sir Arthur C. Clarke.

The Kingdom lifted its travel advisory in February following the end of the conflict.