Peace talks have been stalled for months, but the cease-fire has held and hopes are high that talks will resume in October. Meanwhile, tourism numbers are up and hotels in the south are reporting full bookings in the low season, a dramatic change from a short time ago. Travelers who might otherwise have gone to Bali or East Asia but were scared off by terrorism or SARS have turned to Sri Lanka because it appears to be rising above its almost 20 years of conflict.
