Sri Lanka defence sector to join tourism initiatives
COLOMBO – Minister of Tourism Harin Fernando met heads of the armed forces and the police on Friday (26) to discuss their contribution to tourism projects.
The forces will contribute to adding many new experiences to the tourism business, the Department of Government Information said in a statement after the Friday meeting.
These include the police ensuring the safety of tourists, the air force increasing domestic flights within the island, developing marine tourism with the participation of the navy, and initiating a life-saving program with the participation of the army.
Sri Lanka is eagerly focused on promoting tourism, a key foreign exchange source for the country, but lacks critical infrastructure and faces much red tape. However, the government has adopted an all-hands-on-deck approach since of late.
Although surrounded by the sea, the island neither has a domestic yacht culture, nor yacht-based tourism activities like liveaboard diving cruises.
Nalin Perera, Managing Director Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau said recently that the Bureau was in the process of clearing barriers to marine tourism, including leisure activities on yachts.
The country’s 2023 tourism revenues jumped over 80% to $2.1 billion from $1.1 billion in the previous year, official data show.
-economynext.com
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