Sri Lanka

A steep rise in visitor numbers to Sri Lanka is driving growth in the country’s tourism industry, though a slowdown in the Chinese economy and problems in Russia could take the edge off the surge of arrivals later in the year.

An interim budget unveiled by Sri Lanka’s new government aims to bring down debt levels while maintaining growth, with newly elected President Maithripala Sirisena pledging in his inaugural speech in January to defeat corruption as well as lead a social transformation of the island nation.