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

¶ 01 Mr. Speaker, I thank the Hon. Dharmapriya Dissanayake for bringing this very timely and important motion at the Adjournment. Our tourism industry has achieved significant progress. However, as Hon. Members noted, Kurunegala and Puttalam in the North-Western Province have not yet received commensurate benefits from the sector, despite their strong historical foundations, which the Hon. Members explained well.

¶ 02 Considering the province’s natural endowments, from Wennappuwa northwards lie Kalpitiya and the Wilpattu National Park. These areas have immense potential for tourism development, which we have identified. With sites such as Ridi Vihara, Hettikuchchi Vihara in Galgamuwa, and Ethkanda Vihara, the Central Cultural Fund has commenced a project titled “North-Western Cultural Quadrangle.” Through excavations and conservation under this project, we can further uncover historical value and develop tourism.

¶ 03 This year we are launching a new programme: we will identify 100 tourist attractions across Sri Lanka and allocate Rs. 10 million per site to develop basic infrastructure. I invite Hon. Members to submit around 10 attractions from their constituencies; we are already receiving such requests at the provincial level.

¶ 04 In 2024 we commenced preparing the North-Western Province’s Master Tourism Development Plan, which we expect to complete in 2025. Rs. 8 million has been allocated for this task this year. Additionally, through the Provincial Council’s Ministry of Tourism, over Rs. 100 million has been set aside for tourism development and promotion. Beyond that, the new programme I mentioned will bring further tens of millions of rupees to the province.

¶ 05 With the province’s natural setting, culture, and historical heritage, we plan to attract a significant share of the 3 million tourists we aim to bring to Sri Lanka this year to this region. Wilpattu National Park is becoming a globally renowned tourism hub. Yesterday, together with the Deputy Minister of Environment, we conducted an observation visit in Mannar. We expect to design and establish an access route to Wilpattu National Park from the Puttalam side via Eluwankulama.

¶ 06 Kalpitiya has already been declared a Tourism Development Area, and investors have obtained several islands where development work has begun. Alongside these initiatives, our Government is building an inclusive and sustainable tourism economy, centering programmes on the North-Western Province. As proposed by the Hon. Members, within a few years we will expand tourism—hitherto centered on a few locations, enterprises, or individuals—across the entire country, creating economic opportunities for communities that have not received adequate benefits thus far. We will also effectively leverage our historical heritage and natural resources for tourism through appropriate plans and programmes of the Ministry of Tourism.

¶ 07 Through these programmes, we will help realize the Government’s vision of “A Prosperous Country – A Beautiful Life” by contributing meaningfully from the tourism sector. We work with many government departments and institutions in this effort, and I invite all of them to extend their cooperation and necessary support.

¶ 08 Thank you.