The Hon. (Prof.) Ruwan Ranasinghe - Deputy Minister of Tourism

¶ 01 Madam Presiding Member, some Opposition Members present various proposals; many have long political careers and have held ministerial office. We will accept good ideas where due.

¶ 02 We took over a country with a poor global perception: corruption, Ministers asking commissions, even tourist murders — that was the image. Within a short period, Sri Lanka has regained strong appeal. In just the last three months, multiple accolades arrived: the Colombo–Badulla train ranked among the world’s best by Lonely Planet; Sri Lanka featured in BBC Travel’s “25 Best Places to Travel in 2025”; Travel and Tour World named Sri Lanka a top destination for families with young children (Generation Beta); Sigiriya was declared the “World’s Most Welcoming City for 2025”; National Geographic highlighted “Experience the Magic of Sri Lanka’s Most Scenic Train Ride”; World Travel magazine listed Sri Lanka among the top 25 destinations; and The Times listed the Pekoe Trail among the greatest places to visit. These show we are on the right track; some Opposition claims must be refuted.

¶ 03 It was said we are not developing tourism in the North and North‑Central; that was true in their time, not ours. We have begun work. We convened officials and inspected Mannar and Talaimannar. The Vedithalthivu coral reefs can be developed as a strong attraction. We should add a new entrance to Wilpattu and open up wildlife safaris in the Madu forest.

¶ 04 On the Talaimannar–Rameswaram ferry: the jetty has deteriorated from disuse; it needs major investment. Once rehabilitated, the ferry can restart. We are moving to grow tourism in the North and North‑Central.

¶ 05 Claims that SLTDA lands were given for sand mining are false. In Kuchchaveli, SLTDA holds about 510 acres; private lands also exist, but not one acre or inch of SLTDA land has been given for sand mining. As a Government we are facilitating tourism development and investment.

¶ 06 In 2024, total FDI to tourism was USD 22 million, but by 18 February 2025 — in just 2.5 months — over USD 20 million has already come in. Foreign investors now see that current Ministers do not ask for commissions and processes are facilitative. We also encourage domestic investors.

¶ 07 We are coordinating with JEDB, the Mahaweli Authority and others to mobilize suitable lands for tourism investment, planning ahead for increased arrivals and improved infrastructure.

¶ 08 On business registrations: four months ago, there was a backlog of over 5,000 registrations/renewals at SLTDA. With no proper oversight or digitization before, delays piled up. In three months, we cleared the entire backlog; no one is waiting now to register with SLTDA.

¶ 09 Training: hotel schools are few; we will expand training quickly. This year we will take training to district and regional levels and double current training capacity.

¶ 10 Law enforcement and the informal sector: while about 53,000 rooms are registered, several times that operate informally. Many list on online platforms without SLTDA registration. We are engaging platforms and building our own technical solutions to attract and regulate the informal sector within the formal framework so the law applies fairly. We are systematically resolving issues that grew over decades.

¶ 11 City‑based destination development: we have allocated Rs. 500 million in this Budget for city‑centred promotion in Sigiriya, Kandy, Anuradhapura and Galle, aligning with global destination branding. We also selected 100 attractions across all provinces and allocated Rs. 10 million each (Rs. 1,000 million total) to upgrade basic facilities — another direct tourism investment.

¶ 12 For the workforce, we will establish a contributory pension scheme and a social protection fund this year. We will also broaden economic empowerment — tourism is concentrated in a few areas and large businesses; we will create opportunities for ordinary citizens by taking tourism to places like Badulla, Lunugala, Mannar, Kilinochchi and Deniyaya. With JEDB and others, we will make lands available for SMEs to participate.

¶ 13 Those who shouted about entrepreneurship were the same who, during COVID‑19, exploited returning migrant workers at Katunayake, even setting up family‑linked travel companies to operate during lockdowns. Now, all national parks are properly open for the public. Wilpattu — our largest park — will have multiple entry points; we are also developing Maduru Oya and Wasgamuwa. Yala congestion will be reduced through better management.

¶ 14 We have allocated funds this year to restore Dutch forts in Kalpitiya, Mannar and Jaffna. We have already identified an investor to start a catamaran service between Jaffna and Mannar forts, integrating northern tourism. Although Rs. 500 million is directly allocated to tourism in the Budget, total cross‑sector investments supporting tourism — environment, roads, promotion — will be Rs. 5–6 billion.

¶ 15 Our national promotion campaign starts this month. With low season beginning after April, we aim to attract significant arrivals and reach our three‑million target, backed by training, development and law enforcement.

¶ 16 Some propose lowering duty‑free rents; perhaps previously they could do such favours for a few. Our Government will not. We seek benefits for the people, not a clique.

¶ 17 Our vision is an inclusive and sustainable tourism economy. The Budget proposals are aligned to deliver results within this year. Thank you.