Sri Lanka, April 28 -- Sri Lanka must forge its own path in global tourism rather than attempting to compete with high-volume travel destinations such as Thailand and Malaysia, the head of the country's tourism authorities said on Thursday, as the island nation prepares to host its flagship travel fair next month.

"It is not fair to compare Sri Lanka with famous tourist destinations. Those countries are among the top ten places in the world for tourist arrivals, and Sri Lanka has a very different tourism industry," said Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) Chairman Buddhika Hewawasam.

He made these comments while speaking at a press conference ahead of the 12th 'Sancharaka Udawa' tourism fair, scheduled to take place on 23 - ...