President calls for systematic urban planning to boost tourism

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake expressed that Sri Lanka has the potential to become an attractive tourist destination through well-planned urban development going beyond  traditional construction methods.

President Dissanayake made this statement during a discussion with officials of the National Physical Planning Department at the Presidential Secretariat, today (05).

The President directed officials to develop city planning initiatives that embody Sri Lankan identity in their implementation.

The government’s approach to develop both urban and rural areas and enhance the country's economy through a focus on the rural economy was extensively discussed. The President emphasized the significance of preserving the identity of rural culture and the livelihoods of the rural populace throughout this development process.

The Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando; the Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake; the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, Mahinda Siriwardana; the Senior Additional Secretary to the President, Russel Aponsu; the Secretary to the Ministry of Urban Development, Construction and Housing, Ranjith Ariyaratne; the Director General of the National Physical Planning Department, W.R. Ruchira Vithana; and a group of officials from the Department of National Physical Planning attended this discussion.