Tourism authorities get activated

With last week’s promulgation of the new Tourism Act, tourism authorities this week got activated and appointed heads and members of various institutions that come under the re-organisation of the tourism industry.

A statement from the Tourism Ministry said the Act provides for the setting up of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority which will replace the Sri Lanka Tourist Board. Marketing and promotion will be assigned to the Tourism Promotion Bureau.

Tourism HRD functions and the Hotels School operations will be undertaken by the Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism & Hotel Management while the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau will be restructured as a statutory body like other institutions to be managed by an independent Board of Management.

The new chairmen and the board members of the various organizations appointed by Tourism Minister Milinda Moragoda are as follows:

Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority - Renton de Alwis (Chairman), Cassian Herath, Secretary, Provincial Council Ministry, S. Kalaiselvam, George Michael, Dr. B. M. S. Batagoda, Hiran Cooray, Abbas Esufally, Nihal C. B. Perera and Siri de Silva.

Tourism Advisory Committee - Ken Balendra (Chairman), Renton de Alwis, Janak de Silva, Prema Cooray, Peter Hill, Lalith de Mel, Susantha Ratnayake, Rajan Brito, Thilan Wijesinghe, Nilmin Nanayakkara and Ashley De Vos.

Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism & Hotel Management - H. M. G. S. Pallihakkara (Chairman and retired Foreign Secretary), Ms. Hema Dharmawardane, S. Kalaiselvam, Feroze Omar, Dharshan Munidasa, Dileep Mudadeniya, Sri Lal Mitthapala, Anura Lokuhetti, S. Paramanathan, Vasantha Leelananda, Sarath Fernando and Sumithra Gunasekera.

Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau - Renton de Alwis (Chairman), George Michael, S. Kalaiselvam, Dileep Mudadeniya, Dr. B. M. S. Batagoda, Gihan Perera, Ajith Gunawardane, Chandra Wickramasinghe, Ms. Amal Goonethilake, Sanath Ukwatte and Mervin Fernandopulle.

Sri Lanka Convention Bureau -- Prema Cooray (Chairman), Bandula Ekanayake, Dr. B. M. S. Batagoda, S. Kalaiselvam, Ms. Anjalene Ondaatje, Dirk Grigson, M. Shanthikumar, Dr. W. L. Sumathipala, Dr. H.W.M. Cooray, Nawaz Rajabdeen, Manoj Gunawardane, Prema Cooray and M Farman Cassim.

Oversight Committee – M. D. D. Peiris (Chairman), P. M. Leelaratne, George Michael, H. M. G. S. Palihakkara, Renton de Alwis, Prema Cooray, Janak de Silva, Susantha Ratnayake, Ajith Gunawardane, Abbas Esufally, Rajan Brito, Hiran Cooray, Nilmin Nanayakkara, Krishantha Perera, Dirk Grigson and Mervin Fernandopulle.