COLOMBO, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's Tourism Ministry said on Saturday that it hoped to boost tourism and investment in the north of the country following the opening of an international airport in Jaffna.

The Tourism Ministry said in a statement that Sri Lanka is an island country dependent heavily on air access and the opening of the Jaffna International Airport has brought new opportunities for international/domestic air travel connectivity which would contribute to sustainable development, facilitation of tourism and trade, economic growth and employment opportunities around the area.

"The opening of the Jaffna International Airport is no doubt a watershed event in the resurgence of the Northern Province as an economic hub of the region. Visitors to the north no longer need to spend seven to eight hours on the road to get there from the Bandaranaike International Airport as they can now directly fly into Jaffna," Minister of Tourism Development, Wildlife and Christian Religious Affairs, John Amaratunga said.

The minister further said the opening of the Jaffna International Airport, which is the third international airport in the country, not only eases accessibility for domestic and international visitors to the north, but also opens up new opportunities for investors in the Jaffna Peninsula.

"At a time when the Tourism Development Authority is focusing on developing the infrastructure for tourism in this area, we would like to extend a cordial invitation to interested investors to invest in the region," Upali Ratnayake, Director General of Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority said.

The Jaffna International Airport, constructed at an approximate cost of 12 million U.S. dollars, opened last week.