The Hon. J.C. Alawathuwala

¶ 01 Madam Presiding Member, thank you for the opportunity. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism is vital. We believe Hon. Vijitha Herath, with his experience, will manage it well. This Ministry bears a major responsibility for the country’s future. We should discuss it broadly and heed constructive Opposition ideas. Unlike past leaders who claimed to know best, I trust you will be consultative, Hon. Minister, recognizing that these are dynamic sectors needing fresh approaches.

¶ 02 Sri Lanka has long engaged the world — even in the Anuradhapura era — with South and East Asia. Our geography compels global engagement, bringing both advantages and risks. As Foreign Minister, you must connect Sri Lanka to the world.

¶ 03 We endured a 30‑year war; its remnants still need redress. The COVID‑19 pandemic and the 2019 Easter attacks also set us back. Tourism and foreign employment, under your Ministry, were hard‑hit by external shocks.

¶ 04 Before COVID‑19, in 2018, remittances exceeded USD 7 billion, then fell sharply during the pandemic. Tourism earned its highest receipts in 2018 — about USD 4.3 billion — then collapsed after Easter 2019 and COVID‑19, with months‑long border closures.

¶ 05 Post‑COVID, tourism has been recovering: from negligible receipts in 2020–21, to over USD 1 billion in 2022, USD 2.067 billion in 2023, and USD 3.169 billion in 2024. This is significant as from 2028 our external debt service rises sharply; tourism can supply a major share of needed dollars.

¶ 06 In 2024, over two million tourists visited Sri Lanka. We expect further growth, provided we address structural issues in tourism and foreign employment to secure sustainable inflows.