Tourism Ministry Secretary S. Hettiarachchi said the Ministry aims to attract seven million tourists to the country by 2030, and earn an income of US$ 10 billion from them.
A new software will be launched shortly for the convenience of tourists arriving in the country. The activities of Tourism Police will also be expanded.
The Ministry has received a large number of investment proposals for tourism promotion, and those are being reviewed and the tourism industry is being gradually revived through a systematic plan, he added.
He was participating in a press conference at the Presidential Media Centre yesterday. Spokesperson to the President, Kingsly Rathnayaka moderated the event.
Hettiarachchi pointed out that about one million people, who depended on the tourism industry directly and indirectly, lost their livelihoods due the COVID-19 pandemic.As a result, the national economy also suffered a heavy blow.
As the country has controlled the COVID-19 pandemic to a considerable extent, there is a growth in the number of tourist arrivals to the country compared to other countries in Asia. Attention has been paid to capitalize the success of the COVID-19 vaccination programme in the country, which has received world admiration, for the promotion of tourism.
Tourism Development Authority Director General Dhammika Wijesinghe said that services of the tourism sector would be enhanced by introducing relevant standards and by improving infrastructure facilities. She pointed out that there is a need for proper training for those involved in the tourism industry in the medium and small scale.
