COLOMBO, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's southern Hambantota Port has recorded a rise in the arrival of vessels in the first week of January placing the port on the global maritime map, local media reported on Friday.

Media reports quoting a statement from the Hambantota Port said the port had emerged into one of the top multi-purpose ports in the region which handles a number of different activities, from ship to ship transfers, to ship repairs.

The report said traffic to the port increased significantly in 2018 with 300 vessels calling at the port with different service requirements.

The port expects to see a manifold increase in vessel traffic in 2019, which would greatly increase the turnover of the port and in turn provide economic benefits to the Hambantota region, the statement said.

The Sri Lankan government said last year that the Hambantota port was gearing up to become a leading port in the Indian Ocean region as it was located just a little less than half a nautical mile from the sea lanes.

The China Merchants Port Holdings entered into a partnership with the Sri Lanka Ports Authority in July 2017 to develop and manage the operations of the port.