INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Sri Lanka can be made the Asian destination of tourists, says President Gotabaya Rajapaksa while pointing out that obstacles should be
removed and plans should be made to attract tourists through global promotional programmes.More than 260,000 tourists have arrived in the
country in the first quarter of the year
The President pointed out that all sectors of the tourism industry should be prepared to achieve this target, the PMD reported.The President
Tourist Board was established in 1966 for rapid economic development through the systematic and streamlined development of the tourism
industry and it later became the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority in 2005.The Tourism Development Authority is empowered to oversee
all areas related to the tourism industry, including tourist arrivals, planning resorts and accommodation facilities, registration and
classification of tourist services including tourist hotels and travel agencies, and the issuance of licenses.The President inspected the
Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB), Institute of Tourism - Hotel Management, and Convention Bureau and commended the staff for their
commitment to the promotion of the tourism industry.The government aims to raise USD 10 billion annually from the tourism industry
The Easter Sunday attack was a major blow to the tourism industry
It was further devastated by the Covid-19 pandemic
The government has taken all necessary steps for the rapid development of the infrastructure in the tourism sector, the release
said.Minister of Tourism Prasanna Ranatunga says that the tourism industry is thriving again due to the success of the vaccination
drive.There are a large number of local as well as foreign employment opportunities associated with the tourism sector
number of job opportunities could be created by planning to provide practical training and theoretical knowledge to the youth with the
assistance of the hotel system spread across the country.Various forms of planned propaganda are being carried out to destroy the tourism
Even in such a context, tourist arrivals remain high
Authority to provide an attractive service with a high level of hospitality from the time of arrival to the time of return to their
respective countries.The President also instructed to take steps to increase the number of flights to Sri Lanka in consultation with the
airlines.Infrastructure development required to maintain Yala, Kumana, Minneriya and other wildlife parks and coastal areas as tourist
President Lalith Weeratunga, Ministry Secretary S
This article first appeared/also appeared in https://adaderana.lk
