The newly appointed Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) and Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB), Buddika Hewawasam, convened a meeting with tourism associations at the SLITHM Auditorium yesterday, emphasizing the government’s commitment to developing the tourism sector and outlining several meaningful initiatives to achieve this goal.
Hewawasam announced plans to establish a national Tourism Commission that will include Ministry officials and industry stakeholders to facilitate key decision-making processes and drive the industry forward. During the meeting, he presented the government’s new tourism plan, which aims to significantly increase revenue from the sector.
In 2018, Sri Lanka generated approximately USD 4.5 billion from tourism. The new government has set an ambitious target of USD 18.5 billion by 2030 and is actively seeking support from the industry to meet this goal.
Imran Hassan, President of the Sri Lanka Association of Professional Conference, Exhibition & Event Organisers, stressed the importance of focusing on the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) segment, which is a vital driver of tourism. He pointed out that many Indian states have separate convention bureaus, and he urged Sri Lanka to adopt a similar approach.
M. Jauffer, President of the Eastern Province Tourism Chamber, called for immediate action to develop the Batticaloa Airport and urged the continuation of reconstruction efforts for the seaplane dock at Arugambay. Additionally, he proposed hosting more international events in Sri Lanka and expressed interest in organizing the World Tourism Conference (UNWTO) in the country.