COLOMBO, July 4 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's government has given the nod to launch a 50-million-U.S. dollar cable car project in Nuwera Eliya, in the central hills of the island country, to attract local and foreign tourists, local media reported Thursday.

The government Information Department said in a statement that the cable car system will be built on 21 towers running from the Nanu Oya railway station to Lake Gregory, in Nuwara Eliya which are large tourist attractions.

The project is expected to operate 86 cars which can carry 10 passengers each.

Sri Lanka's Tourism Ministry has said it plans to launch new projects in the coming months to boost the number of tourist arrivals.

The island's tourism industry has emerged as one of the leading foreign exchange earners following the end of a three-decade-long civil conflict which ended in May 2009.