“Sri Lanka needs to take more care of the informal tourism sector including small-time accommodation owners as well those in the non-accommodation sectors,’’ said Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
He was speaking at the Annual General Meeting of the Ceylon Hotel School Graduates Association which was held in Tangalle last week.
“Some countries have a separate focus on the informal accommodation sector. We will be talking to small-time stakeholders in the tourist industry in a bid to identify their problems and help them and get them all of them registered,” Premier Wickremesinghe said.
The Prime Minister said that to meet this objective the government would soon introduce a new tourism law where more powers would be given out.
He also said that today tourism trends and travel partners have changed and Sri Lanka too should look at marketing from a new angle. “Today huge airlines that existed two decades ago have disappeared and budget airlines have emerged. Similarly travel agents too are a dying breed and online bookings are playing a major role in bringing in travelers.”
“I have also asked the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotions Bureau to give the government a new restructuring plan in this regard.”
The Prime Minister said that tourism is a huge foreign exchange earner and the revenue generated from it could be used to repay some of the national debt.
“We need money to meet debts and for recurrent expenditures. Today, our revenue exceeds debt services. Tourism too can help the government to pay off all existing debts.’’
He said the government is looking at a 5 million arrival target for 2020 and this is achievable. “We expect the bulk of these travelers to be from Asia.”
Premier Wickremesinghe said plans are also afoot to make Sri Lanka a year around destination rather than not depending on just one season. He said that major changes are being planned to entertain the influx of tourists to Sri Lanka. “We are looking at new destinations for golf and other entertainment in Kandy, Galle and Iranawilla.” (SS)
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