Opening of the first five-star resort signals growing fortunes for the ill-discovered island.

When the world’s athletes leave Rio de Janeiro after Sunday’s closing ceremony, the economic games begin: How to convert billions of dollars spent on tracks, pools, pitches and routes around the Olympic village into urban regeneration?

At the tip of the teardrop of India, as Sri Lanka is often described, lies the Thalsevana Holiday Resort. From here you could once walk to India over 30 miles of limestone shoals.

On the face of it, this might not seem the right time to be investing in Turkey.