U.S., May 26 -- The good news, there has never been a better time to visit Sri Lanka. It's true when it comes to travel specials available. Sri Lanka is safe, but to relate such a message may be a challenge.

The bad news is the Sri Lanka tourism industry suffered a further blow with last week's sporadic incidents in the North Western Province and parts of Gampaha, as hoteliers began offering discounts of up to 70% in some instances.

"The attacks hurt tourism, and the riots hurt tourism. The riots caused the same security issues the terrorist attacks caused," said Saliya Dayananda, president of the Cultural Triangle Hoteliers Association and the Co-chairperson of the Association for Dambulla and Sigiriya Tourism Promotion. The industry i...