Lonely Planet has reaffirmed its ranking of Sri Lanka as the best place to visit in 2019, in spite of the Easter Sunday attacks which claimed the lives of around 40 tourists, and over 250 people in total. "The country has been upset, but continues to be an incredible place to visit. It still tops our Best in Travel for 2019," the influential travel magazine said in its latest article on Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka was named the best country in the world to visit in 2019 by Lonely Planet, citing the improved transport links, new hotels and a growing number of activities as the reasons for the number 1 ranking. It highlighted Sri Lanka's food, the "epic" train rides, the hill country and the "incomparable" beaches as reasons it should still be on the top of tourists' travel plans. "While we don’t discount the fear many travellers feel, we should not allow events like this to deter us from continuing to explore, learn and break down stereotypes. In recent weeks, countries have softened their travel warnings to Sri Lanka, including the UK," Lonely Planet writer Caterina Hrysomallis notes on its website today.