Tourism and Lands Minister Harin Fernando yesterday emphasised the urgent need for a tourism policy that remains consistent despite changes in government or political leadership and called for its prompt presentation to the country.
He said such a policy, which was prepared after extensive study by experts in the field, has been forwarded to the Cabinet of Ministers for approval.
“The tourism industry of the country needs a national policy that does not change when governments and politicians are changed. The country’s tourism policy cannot be changed just because of change of its minister.
Therefore, after a long analysis, we have forwarded a new policy for tourism, which was prepared by experts in the field, to the Cabinet.
We will present the country how it will work, within the next two weeks,” Fernando told a presser held at the Presidential Media Centre, yesterday.
In the meantime, Fernando highlighted that his ministry is actively implementing substantial measures to retain the country’s tourism sector human capital.
“The challenge we have faced thus far is attracting tourists to Sri Lanka. Furthermore, a forthcoming challenge is ensuring the sustained quality of the tourism industry.
Employees within Sri Lanka’s hotel industry often seek foreign employment as soon as they receive their initial service certificate, leading to a continuous cycle of hiring and replacing staff.
I see this situation as a significant issue within the country’s hotel industry. We are presently taking decisive measures to address not only this concern but also the other challenges in the field,” he said.
