COLOMBO, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka has recorded a 29 percent growth in luxury cruise ships calling at the Port of Colombo in the first 10 months of this year, compared to the same period last year, helping boost the tourism sector, the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) said in a statement on Monday.

The SLPA said from January to October, 45 cruise ships had called at the Colombo Port which was a record-breaking growth.

Cruise tourism has seen a substantial growth in Sri Lanka in recent years, with industry experts seeking government approval to build a cruise terminal building at the Colombo Port to attract more cruise liners.

Tourism has been one of the country's leading sectors with a growing number of tourists visiting the country each year.

This year, over 2.08 million tourists have visited the island country, with India, China and Britain being the leading markets.