The country's target of attracting 2.
5 million visitors and adding 25,000 rooms by 2016 might not be achievable nor desirable, they said.
"Sri Lanka is a small country, densely populated, with lean infrastructure," said Malin Hapugoda, managing director of Aitken Spence Hotels, a big operator in Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
"So we can't grow in numbers like Thailand. We need to be aware of our carrying capacity - and assess the potential impact of 2.
5 million tourists on the country."
Hapugoda said the government target of visitor numbers and building rooms was a target to aim for but might not be achievable.
"With all the constraints we face it will be virtually impossible to attain but it's a target people will go," he told the annual conference of the Institute of Certified Professional Managers.
Hapugoda said Aitken Spence's strategy was to target niche market, high-yielding tourists, given the country's small size and its bio-diversity attractions.
"We should use the