Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism Vijitha Herath has announced that steps will be taken to amend the Tourism Act to accelerate the growth of Sri Lanka’s tourism industry.
He said the government has a long-term vision to develop the tourism sector into a key contributor to national development.
The Minister emphasized the need for a unified structure among all relevant institutions and revealed plans to establish a National Tourism Commission for this purpose.
He added that joint tourism committees will be set up at both district and tourism zone levels under the proposed commission, supported by new legislation.
Minister Herath further explained that the current Tourism Act is being revised as the existing laws are inadequate to meet present needs, and a team of experts has been appointed to carry out the amendments.
Meanwhile, from 1St of January to 29th of October , 2025, over 1.8 million foreign tourists have visited Sri Lanka, with 153,063 arrivals recorded in October alone, reflecting continued recovery and growth in the tourism sector.
