The government will be taking Sri Lanka Tourism back in time if and once the new Tourism Act is implemented, according to tourism expert Srilal Miththapala.
Burning issues pertaining to the new Tourism Act that would result in the re-establishment of the Sri Lanka Tourist Board (SLTB) and the amalgamation of the four entities namely: Sri Lanka Convention Bureau, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority and the Sri Lanka Institute of Hotel Management (SLITHM) are some of the main concerns.
Mr. Miththapala speaking with the Business Times noted that the adoption of the former system under the SLTB would mean going back in time to a pre-dominantly government-run institution.
Back in 2007 the tourism industry established the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority under the Tourism Act of 2005 effectively breaking away from the former SLTB set up that was in place for 41 years prior to the 2005 Act.
He noted that this would eventually allow the government to maintain complete control of the industry with minimal private sector participation in the decision-making process. It is also opined that the tourism tax levied from the private sector would be essentially passed onto the Treasury without completely transferring it for use within the sector alone.
The new Tourism Act is currently in its final stages, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau Managing Director Rumy Jauffer told the Business Times.
Discussions were conducted with the industry after the new draft legislation was made available to the private sector, he said.
In this respect, Mr. Jauffer observed that the new Act would be submitted to Parliament in the “near future”. The new Tourism Act was handed over to the industry for comments recently for any possible changes.
A cabinet sub committee was appointed to look into the establishment of the new Tourism Act that would assist in reverting to the former SLTB.
The new Act would seek to operate with one Chairman heading the entire organization with two Director Generals’ for the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority and the SLITHM, respectively. |
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