COLOMBO, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lankan government will soon identify new tourism zones across the country to protect and enhance socio-economic development and manage the existing zones to attract more tourists into the island country, local media reported on Monday.

Sri Lankan fishermen walk along at Mount Lavinia beach with Colombo skyline ont the background on December 2, 2020. (File photo: AFP)

Presently authorities have marked around 15 tourism zones in the country and the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) said it had embarked on an initiative to review some of these zones and had sought industry insight into the declared zones, suggestions for additional tourism zones if any, and proposals to improve the management of zones, the local Daily FT reported.

These declared zones are designed to act as catalysts to stimulate the growth of tourism destinations that are environment friendly and to provide new experiences.

Sri Lanka is all set to re-open its international airports next month under strict health guidelines in order to kickstart its tourism after its airports were shut since March due to a COVID-19 outbreak.

Sri Lanka ended 2019 with 1.91 million tourists, down by 18 percent from a year earlier but this year total tourist arrivals remained at 507,311 during the first 10 months due to the airport closure.