COLOMBO, March 8 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lankan Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) on Thursday said the present state of emergency had no impact on tourism.

An official from the SLTDA told Xinhua that tourist arrivals continued without hindrance into the country, and except for the "minor inconvenience of not being able to travel freely in some parts of Kandy district at the present time," there was no other issue concerning tourism.

"We want to assure that all tourists in the country are safe and there is absolutely no threat of harm to any of them," the official said.

A statement from the SLTDA said members of tourism and travel industries worked with local police authorities on Wednesday to facilitate issuance of passes for tourists who chose to move out of Kandy in central Sri Lanka, due to the curfew.

Kandy is a famous tourist hotspot in Sri Lanka and visited by thousands of tourists per annum.

The SLTDA said the situation in Kandy however, had no impact whatsoever on other parts of the country and day to day affairs and activities took place smoothly outside the Kandy district.