sri lanka, a beautiful island nation popularly referred to as the pearl of the indian ean. year round tropical beaches. diverse wildlife and cultural

attractions including eight world heritage sites. in 2009, following the end of nearly 30 years of civil war, sri lanka had approximately 500,000 foreign tourists. in 2016, the number soared to over two million. enterprising youngsters are determined to make the most of the bubbling tourist trade. the is a fa ri offers sightseeing tours on rickshaws. visitors get to enjoy a close up view of local life and culture. these tours are designed to win the hearts of even the most

experienced travelers. a historic hotel with a legacy of over 100 years. young people aiming for a career in the hotel industry are working hard to meet the hotel's exacting standards of hospitality. >> i want to own my own restaurant and take the sri lan lankan to the next level. >> we'll see how sri lankan's youth have dreaming of success in the tourism industry. on the south side of sri lanka's largest city colombo is the mt. lavinia hotel.

dating back to the british colonial period, it's a popular destination for travelers from around the world. it also runs an international hotel school that serves as a gateway to careers in hospitality. as the most prestigious school among 80, it attracts young people from all over the country. established in 1991, many of the alumni have landed jobs in first class hotels both in sri lanka and overseas. in late january, prospective students and their parents have interview exams to enroll for the new semester. the annual tuition can cost as much as $1,100 which is more

than the average annual income in sri lanka but the school has no shortage of perspective students. parents feel it's worth making the effort to come up with the funds. >> if my son can get into the school, his future will be guaranteed. i'll be able to lead a happy life too. >> the school offers three types of courses. a two-year diploma course, a one year foundation course and several six month cooking courses. what sets it apart from other schools is that students are able to receive practical training at the hotel working as

interns. there are many specialized classes. students also study hotel management and are drilled in business english, marketing and accounting. while the hotel industry offers diverse opportunities, the most popular position is that of chef. students taking the two-year course are now learning how to cook. they're taught by the hotel chef when the kitchen isn't too busy.

chicken curry is a classic sri lankan dish. the chef demonstrates and coaches the students. the curry is almost done when the atmosphere in the kitchen suddenly becomes tense. the head chef has arrived. 828-year-old publis silva is a world famous name in sri lankanlankanc cuisine. he's going to do a taste test and compare the food prepared by the students.

his advise comd kries comes as . coconut milk is almost always included in recipes. by telling them to ignore the basics he aims to convey an important message.

adding coconut milk to all curries make everything taste the same. he believes over adhering to tradition hampers the potential for growth. despite being over 80 years old, he continues to pursue innovation in sri lankan cuisine. >> i've been working for this hotel for 61 years. i've only finished four years of elementary school. i can barely speak english, but i've won recognition throughout the world. i hope that studying sri lankan food culture will enable students to spread their wings overseas just like me.

>> chef publis is a role model for this 20-year-old. she loved cooking even as a child. after finishing college, she entered the hotel school last year. she lives in colombo with her family. even after she returns home from school, she spends time cooking in the kitchen every day. today she's classmate to join her in creating a sri lankan fusion dish mixing different cuisines.

she's concocted an original recipe. she's taken chef publis' advice to heart. grilled skewered prawns made from sri lankan and indian spices. the italian style seafood pancakes are fried in olive oil and topped with tomato and onion. >> i always go to the kitchen. what ever is left there i take it and do something crazy with it. i always try to do something new. i really want to push myself hard so then i can one day get to my place, to my goals. >> she tests the results on her father. >> good?

you sure? how's the pancake? >> her father runs his own business and her mother works for an international company over s overseas. he hopes she'll realize her dreams. he does have mixed feelings. >> be frank with you, i wasn't that happy when she choose this field because she has a lot of capabilities and lot of things she can do. then at tehe end of the day it' what she wants. >> she understands her father's concerns, but she wants to place her bets on sri lanka's potential for growth.

>> skyscrapers and new buildings are mushrooming throughout colombo changing the cityscape. we came across a group of young men who offer a unique service. >> today their customers are honeymooners from ireland. they're about to set out on a four-hour tour of colombo. the fee is $60 per person. their choice of vehicle is a

specially designed tuk tuk. it's very popular in sri lanka and offers a unique experience. the safari allows visitors to explore unusual destinations. a surprise awaits at the end of a narrow alley.tsafari allows v explore unusual destinations. a surprise awaits at the end of a narrow alley.usafari allows v explore unusual destinations. a surprise awaits at the end of a narrow alley.ksafari allows vo explore unusual destinations. a surprise awaits at the end of a narrow alley. safari allows v to explore unusual destinations. a surprise awaits at the end of a narrow alley.tsafari allows v to explore unusual destinations. a surprise awaits at the end of a narrow alley.usafari allows vs to explore unusual destinations. a surprise awaits at the end of a narrow alley.ksafari allows visitors to explore unusual destinations. a surprise awaits at the end of a narrow alley. this is the oldest hindu temple

in colombo. although sri lanka is a buddhist company, it does have some beautiful hindu temples, like this one, that's unknown to foreign tourists. the driver acts as a guide pointing out interesting sites. tuk tuks are small enough to navigate streets that are too narrow for the large buses. this is what makes our tour special. >> a bustling street market. visitors can stand up and experience the livly atmosphere and energy of the place. the is a -- it

atrac attractions that aren't in any guide book.it offers visitors attractions that aren't in any guide book.it offers visitors attractions that aren't in any guide book.it offers visitors attractions that aren't in any guide book.it offers visitors attractions that aren't in any guide book.it offers visitors attractions that aren't in any guide book.it offers visitors attractions that aren't in any guide book.it offers visitors attractions that aren't in any guide book.t offers visitors attractions that aren't in any guide book.it offers visitors attractions that aren't in any guide book.it offers visitors as that aren't in any guide book.i that aren't in any guide book.i that aren't in any guide book. >> it's very good. it's excellent. >> it's bringing us to places we wouldn't think of going. it's brilliant. >> the tour officer is locatedn a residential area. the company was established a year ago and now has five employees. the safari was the brain child of 36-year-old jimal. founding to prior the company he worked in the hotel industry and acted as a tour guide.

in only one year, he can hardly believe how quickly the company has grown. they aim to make $36,000 a month. >> we are doing great. i'm optimistic about the future. when we first started, we only

had four or five reservations a month, but this month we've been really busy. we're fully booked next month too. i think business is going to keep growing. we're all pleased. >> this shows the number of reservations in their first month. the number has increased rapidly even though they don't advertise. they're representation has spread via social media and tourism websites. the drivers are especially delighted about the company's growth. it's because of their hard work and effort to provide a trusty service.

>> bob marley hails from a town 180 miles south of colombo. he worked as a tuk tuk taxi driver for ten years, but he didn't own the vehicle. he had very few passengers and was struggling the make ends meet. that's h that's when he heard of the safari tours. he decided to leave town and go do colombo to provide a better life for his family. >> i can get by on the tips i receive every day. i send my paycheck back home to cover my family's living e inei expenses and tuition. >> most of the drivers are from the south. they've pinned their hopes on the growing tourist industry.

meanwhile, back at the international hotel school, three students enrolled in the six month cooking course are about to take their final exam. the results will determine their future especially so for janaka who is now 24. this is the hotel bakery. it's where all the bread and sweets are prepared. over the last six months the students have learned how to make 60 different sweets. today's test involves preparing a dish selected by the chef.

>> the main point of the examine -- exam is to check the students process. i carefully observe how they prepare and plate the food. obviously, i will taste the food, but if their cooking process is right, the food should taste good. >> the students check their notes one last time before taking the test. janaka can't afford to fail. he's paid his way by working part-time.

if he passes the test with flying colors, he'll be eligible for scholarship enabling him to study for six more months. janaka has to make a custard sauce. it's a basic sauce but it's difficult to make properly. he places the completed custard sauce in a bowl to give to his teacher. each student has finished the 40-minute test.

the students will find out whether they have passed by telephone later. >> i think i did well. i'm used to making custard sauce. i've asked various people for advice and have made it over and over again. so, i think it will be all right. i wonder what the result will be. >> janaka has had to work really hard to attend school. he commutes from a town 100 kilometers south of colombo. it's three hours away by bus. he makes the most of his commute time by studying his notes and memorizing recipes.

his home is another one hour walk from the bus stop. most of the other students are renting in colombo but janaka could barely pay for the tuition. he has no other choice but to commute. he lives with his mother and aunt. he's an only child. his father died when he was young. his mother is lahappy to see hi studying hard but she's aware the time will come for him to leave the nest. >> i'm sure i'll feel rather

lonely. that's probably true for my son as well. i've asked him to come home as much as he can. >> my sister worked hard to bring janaka up. his education has always been her main priority. i hope her dream will come true and then he'll have a bright future., and then he'll have a bright future. >> janaka's mother wanted to help her son fulfill his dream and told him not to worry about the tuition. but he didn't want to trouble her any further. he worked at an iron works factory for a year to save up for the tuition. >> my village friends are working on construction sites or have joined the army. i want to become a chef.

it would be my dream to do this. >> that evening the school calls with the results. the country is aiming by 2020 to attract 4500,000 tourists, nearly double the current number. sri lanka's growing tourist industry is fueling the dreams

of a younger

welcome to nhk "newsline." it is 9:00 a.m. in tokyo. i'm catherine kobayashi. we have new video this hour from what police are calling a terrorist incident in london. four people were killed, and at least 40 others injured in the attack on wednesday. a driver mowed down pedestrians near the houses of parliament. he then round his car into a fence and fatally stabbed a police officer. he was shot dead by police. the moment of the attack was captured by a tourist. the attack began in the afternoon when