French government modify travel advisory to permit visits to tourism areas in Sri Lanka The French Foreign Ministry updated its travel advisory on Sri Lanka today, advising their nationals that, apart from the Northern and Eastern parts of the country, travel to the rest of the island is relatively safe. While reminding their nationals that terrorism is a risk, the advisory notes that foreigners have never been targeted, though there remains the possibility of collateral damage. Tourists have been advised to exercise maximum vigilance and to follow security measures adopted by the local authorities. The advisory states that tourists should not use public transport in and between cities, as buses have been targeted by terrorists in the past. The modified travel advisory is now similar to the position adopted by other European governments such as the United Kingdom, Spain, Belgium and Switzerland. “We are pleased to note that the French government has taken this position on tourist visits to Sri Lanka and we hope to introduce immediate awareness promotion programs to get this message across to the travel agents and tour operators in France. We shall do our utmost to make sure that the French visitor arrivals will soon return to its potential given the circumstances we operate in” said Renton de Alwis, Chairman, Sri Lanka Tourist Board. For more information contact : Ruan de Alwis Director - Office du Tourisme de Sri Lanka 08 Rue de Choiseul 75002 Paris, France Telephone: 00 331 426 04999 E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Dharshan Hennedige Personal Assistant to Chairman Sri Lanka Tourist Board 80, Galle Road, Colombo 3, Sri Lanka Telephone: + 94 1 243 6613 / 6618 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.