Hon. Vijitha Herath - Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism

¶ 01 Hon. Speaker, the response to the Question raised by Hon. Dilith Jayaweera is as follows. 1. Multiple ongoing initiatives are not a challenge but a strategic strength to achieve our national objectives. This has enabled removal of bottlenecks in policy formulation and implementation and facilitated a faster, coordinated approach. Over recent months, the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, together with the Tourism Promotion Bureau, conducted a series of strategic sessions and convened rapid task force meetings with stakeholders such as the Hoteliers’ Association and the Association of Inbound Tour Operators to integrate their practical inputs directly into policy. Under this coordination mechanism, we have issued direct instructions through overseas Missions to promote tourism and accelerated the onboarding of trained workers to the sector, enabling swift decisions without losing time. Tourism Development Levy revenue: - 2024: Rs. 2,582,085,320.00 - 2025 (Jan–Sept): Rs. 2,929,705,378.70 — higher than last year over the comparable period. Sri Lanka has been recognized as a branded tourism destination; this requires structured reforms. Accordingly, under the leadership of the Tourism Promotion Bureau, preparatory work has commenced to introduce a common national brand (nation branding) usable across sector-linked institutions, to unify Sri Lanka under a single brand. Related investments will be made in due course. Tourism receipts: - 2024 (Jan–Dec): approximately USD 3 billion (USD 181.15 million for December cited; annual total approximates USD 3 billion). - 2025 (Jan–Nov): about USD 2.9 billion; with December, we anticipate approaching USD 3 billion. Estimated average daily spend ranges by market: - United Kingdom: USD 154.82 – 263.28 - Germany: USD 142.27 – 222.82 - Russia: USD 103.84 – 201.95 - China: USD 155.17 – 190.55 - India: USD 154.60 – 176.49 These are based on market analyses. Low-budget travelers are diverse. A young budget traveler may return later with higher spending power, and many provide cost-free word-of-mouth promotion for Sri Lanka. Moreover, low-budget spend tends to flow via homestays, small shops and eateries directly to local communities, supporting regional development. Even higher-end travelers increasingly seek authentic local experiences, using public transport and consuming local food, thereby spending more with micro-vendors without intermediaries—again aiding local development. Hotel room inventory has grown to around 90,000 rooms, which we acknowledge contributes to lower average daily room rates relative to demand. Tourists do not come only to stay in rooms; they often prefer to spend less on accommodation and more on activities. By Gazette Extraordinary No. 2450/27 of 20.08.2025, a Presidential Task Force was established under Article 33 of the Constitution to implement programmes for Tourism Development in Sri Lanka. Its first sitting was on 02.09.2025, the second on 14.10.2025, and the latest meeting was held yesterday. Through this Task Force, all relevant institutions and ministries are working in unison to develop the industry. Thank you.