COLOMBO, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan Tourism Minister John Amaratunga on Wednesday said the government hoped to attract at least 3 million tourists in 2019, making Sri Lanka one of the most sought-after destinations in the global tourism map.

The minister said in a statement that the government hoped to launch a new country branding for Sri Lanka Tourism at the World Travel Mart to be held in London in November and the government would soon select a global branding agency for this purpose.

He said promoting Sri Lanka as a destination brand would be critical to attract international visitors to the country.

"Sri Lanka has always focused on its diversity to attract visitors to the country. It's this diversity that we intend to focus upon," Amaratunga said.

"We, as a government, are committed to ensuring that tourism will drive all sectors of society and the diverse sectors of commercial enterprise. We want the country, the people and all organizations located across the island to enjoy the benefits of tourism," the Minister added.

Tourism has emerged as one of Sri Lanka's leading foreign exchange earners in recent years with many international publications dubbing the country as one of the world's greatest tourist hot spots.

So far this year, over 1.3 million tourists have already visited the island with India, China and Britain being the leading markets.