Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority initiates provincial tourism units
The Morning: The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) plans to establish nine provincial tourism units as part of a tourism development plan aimed at catering to sustainable tourism development at the provincial level.
Speaking to The Sunday Morning Business, SLTDA Chairman Priantha Fernando stated they were currently considering provincial tourism development which, once in place, would be taken up by provincial tourism units established under the tourism development plan.
He revealed that although the provincial tourism units had already been established, they had thus far lacked the requisite resources to make these operational.
“It’s a step-by-step approach. It will not happen overnight, but we will definitely get there by mid-2025. By 2026, the Tourism Master Plan will have come into effect, by which time about 80-90% of it will already be in place,” he stated.
He elaborated: “Provincial tourism development will be part and parcel of the tourism development plan that is being drawn up. Under that we will cover new attractions, getting the local communities and authorities involved in the process.”
He further revealed that under the tourism development plan, they would seek to get the local communities involved together with Local Governments and provincial tourism units, working to build awareness and expertise on the subject accordingly.
OSL take:
Sri Lanka’s tourism authorities are currently engaged in harnessing the full potential of the local assets to further strengthen the country’s tourism industry, which is on a steady growth path. After facing a challenging period during the past few years, Sri Lanka’s tourism industry shows a steady growth path with increasing tourist arrivals to the country and the recognition of Sri Lanka as a must visit tourist destination by global travel outlets. In a bid to further promote the tourism industry, local authorities are also looking at exploring new tourism concepts for promotion and more tourism destinations to attract foreign visitors to the country. It is in such a backdrop that the tourism authorities are looking at provincial tourism units to ensure island wide coverage of the overall industry. All these have resulted in the expansion of business/investment opportunities in the local tourism industry. These opportunities range from the development of infrastructure and supplementary infrastructure facilities required by the growing demand to the expansion of sectors like leisure and hospitality. The growth and business potential of Sri Lanka’s tourism industry is evident by the interest shown by international leisure and hospitality brands in doing business with Sri Lanka. Foreign businesses/investors could therefore confidently explore the expanding business/investment opportunities in Sri Lanka’s tourism industry.