COLOMBO, April 18 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's Tourism Minister John Amaratunga has vowed to ensure the safety of tourists visiting the island country and has deployed additional security in tourist hot spots, local media reported Wednesday.

Amaratunga told journalists that the Tourism Ministry was concerned about the safety of tourists after a rise in complaints of harassment and exploitation of tourists especially in the western and southern coastal belts.

He said tourist arrivals in recent years had hit record figures and the tourism industry had emerged as one of the leading sectors, generating the most amount of foreign exchange into the island.

"We guarantee absolute safety for tourists, with the support of the police," the Minister said.

"We will ensure that no tourist faces any king of harassment and they return back to their countries with a memorable experience," the Minister added.

The minister further said anyone caught harassing or abusing tourists would be severely punished and maximum legal action would be taken without delay.

Sri Lanka's tourism industry, which was once heavily scarred by a 30-year civil conflict, has become one of the leading industries after it was dubbed as one of the world's greatest tourist hot spots by several international publications.