New Tourist Board Chairmen get letters of appointment

12 November 2015 02:59 am

Letters of appointment have been sent to the individuals who were recommended to the posts of Chairmen at the Tourist Board, Mirror Business learns. As previously reported, Paddy Withana, who is currently the acting Chairman of both the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotions Bureau (SLTPB) and Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), will retain his past post as the SLTDA Chairman, and continue to act as the SLTPB Chairman.

Tourism and Christian Affairs Minister John Amaratunga, who made the recommendations to the Prime Minister, had told Mirror Business that an appropriate individual had not been found for the Chairmanship of the SLTPB.

However, some industry players are of the view that Withana may not be able to effectively handle the doubled work load for a lengthy period of time. Withana has also been observed to make contradictory policy statements.

There are rumours that the SLTDA and SLTPB might be amalgamated.

The other two appointments are industry veteran Prema Cooray as the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Conventions Bureau, a post which he had held several years ago, and Hotel School Graduates Association President and BMICH CEO Sunil Dissanayake, as the Chairman of the Hotel School.

The Sri Lanka Conventions Bureau is currently bidding for a variety of international conventions, while the Hotel School is involved with expanding its curricular to rural masses.

The SLTPB is supposed to restart bids for its Rs.200 million ad campaign and three other media campaigns soon.