National Policy for Tourism final draft unveiled

The final draft of the National Policy for Tourism (NPT) was presented to the sector stakeholders for their input before moving the strategy set towards the implementation phase.

The stakeholder meeting held in Colombo today included associations of the tourism sector, officials of Sri Lanka Tourism and Ministry of Tourism, the United Nations Development Programme, and the EU in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) Chairman Priantha Fernando in a tweet shortly after the meeting said the document will be finalized in the coming days, and will soon after be submitted to the cabinet for approval.

Speaking to Mirror Business, private sector stakeholders said the meeting was “fruitful” and productive.

The majority of the proposals put forward by different associations of the tourism industry have been included, which is welcome, stakeholders said.

The NTP is developed by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) with technical assistance from international agencies, including the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and World Tourism Organisation (WTO), and development partners such as the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the European Union (EU), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Australia and other key stakeholders.