HABARANA, Sri Lanka (CNN) -- For the past 13 years, violent clashes between the Tamil Tiger rebels and government troops have been driving tourists from Sri Lanka.

But the gentle allure of elephants is now attracting growing numbers of international visitors to the country, in spite of the continuing rebel threat.

The Elephant Safari Village resort in Habarana, 200 kilometers (124 miles) north of the capital, Colombo, is doing a thriving business taking tourists on elephant rides through the surrounding jungle.

"Most of the people who come here are nature lovers," said Anthony Parera, manager of the hotel at the resort. "They are happy with the jungle type of concept which they find here, including the lakes, trees, fresh air and service that we give."

During the peak tourist season, nearly 100 elephants are brought into the resort by tour companies and travel agencies that charge visitors between $20 and $40 for a two-hour ride.

"We do not have elephants in Germany, so it was a very nice experience to sit on an elephant and go to the jungle. It was great," one German tourist said.

Sri Lanka is better known for the beaches on the southwestern coast of the island nation.

But the government and tour operatives have been aggressively marketing Sri Lanka's jungles as part of an ecological tourism campaign, and the number of visitors to Habarana has almost doubled during the past four years.

Reuters contributed to this report.