Tourism Minister reverses decision to abolish minimum room rate next year

THASL Outgoing President Hiran Cooray, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority and Sri Lanka Tourism Promotions Bureau Chairman Paddy Withana, Tourism Development, Land and Christian Affairs Minister John Amaratunga and THASL President Sanath Ukwatte Pic by Pradeep Pathirana

By Chandeepa Wettasinghe

The country’s tourism authorities have reversed their stance on the minimum room rate applied on Colombo hotels despite announcing a couple of months ago that such price controls would be done away with by March next year. Speaking at the 51st Annual General Meeting of the Tourist Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) To u r i s m Development, Land and Christian Affairs Minister John Amaratunga said that along with maintaining the minimum rate, further concessions would be provided to the industry. “While this remains a highly contentious issue, I believe it would be in the best interest for the industry to allow market forces to determine the rates in the not too distant future