Govt. moves to establish National Tourism Council soon.

The Government is set to consolidate its fragmented tourism governance structure through the creation of a powerful National Tourism Council, with policy paper already submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers approval last week. “The proposal has been forwarded to the Cabinet office. With approval, we can start and until such time, the new Presidential Unit will carry out the Council’s functions,” Tourism Deputy Minister Prof. Ruwan Ranasinghe told the Daily FT.

Under the new structure, institutions such as Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB), and Sri Lanka Convention Bureau (SLCB) will fall under the purview of the Council. However, the Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management (SLITHM), which handles training and human resources development for the sector, will remain an autonomous entity. 

The Deputy Minister said the overlapping jurisdiction and bureaucratic inaction have delayed critical projects and eroded investor confidence. “The establishment of the National Tourism Council will address longstanding bottlenecks and bring coherence and accountability to tourism sector planning and execution,” he added.

Source: https://www.ft.lk/front-page/Govt-moves-to-establish-National-Tourism-Council-soon-Deputy-Minister/44-778148