Tourism secretary George Michael said Sri Lanka has learned of an imminent travel warning from Japan and tourism minister Milinda Moragoda had already met the Japanese envoy in Colombo.

Deputy tourism minister Faizer Mustapha was now in Tokyo for discussions with Japanese authorities to head off the travel warning, Michael told members of the Tourist Hotels Association of Sri Lanka in Colombo.

In the first half of this year 5,100 Japanese had visited the island, becoming the second most important East Asian generating market after China which brought in 5,300 visitors. In the first six months of 2007, Japan was the top East Asian generating market.

In the full-year 2007 14,000 Japanese arrived in Sri Lanka, down from 16,000 in 2006, according to official data.

Sri Lanka has been badly hit by travel advisories, especially from Western countries which are the mainstay of the travel industry, with an intensifying conflict between the government and Tamil Tigers guerrillas.

Newly elected head of the Tourist Hotels Association Srilal Miththpala said the industry was heading for the worst crisis in its history and the association would lobby hard to bring peace to the country.

In the first six months of 2008, Sri Lanka drew 224,000 visitors, the same level as last year, with the country's tourism authorities and the industry intensifying promotional efforts in the face of tightening travel warnings.

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