Minister of Tourism Harin Fernando has met the heads of the armed forces and the police to discuss tourism projects.
The forces will contribute to adding many new experiences to the tourism business, a statement by the Department of Government Information said after the meeting on Friday (26).
These include the police ensuring the safety of tourists, the air force increasing domestic flights within the island, developing marine tourism with the participation of the navy, and initiating a life-saving programme with the participation of the army.
Sri Lanka is eagerly focused on promoting tourism, a key foreign exchange source for the country, but lacks critical infrastructure and faces much red tape. However, the government has adopted an all hands on deck approach since of late.
Although surrounded by the sea, the island neither has a domestic yatch culture, nor yacht based tourism activities like liveaboard diving cruises.
Sri Lanka’s Tourism Promotion Bureau is in the process of clearing barriers to marine tourism, including leisure activities on yachts, Managing Director Nalin Perera said recently.
The country’s 2023 tourism revenues jumped over 80 percent to $2.1 billion from $1.1 billion in the previous year, official data show.