A discussion on the 2026 Pre-Budget for the tourism sector with private sector stakeholders was held yesterday (29) at the Presidential Secretariat, under the patronage of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
The President noted that promotional programmes alone would not be sufficient to achieve the sector’s 2026 targets, stressing the need for a new strategic programme jointly implemented by both the public and private sectors.
He invited entrepreneurs to invest in converting President’s Houses and Ministers’ official residences in locations such as Nuwara-Eliya, Anuradhapura, Mahiyanganaya and Kataragama into comfortable holiday resorts targeting foreign tourists. A formal programme to facilitate this initiative is to be launched in the near future.
During the meeting, business leaders pointed out existing challenges and shortcomings in the tourism industry, while the President urged entrepreneurs to submit proposals for advancing the sector.
Among those present were Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma, Senior Economic Adviser to the President Duminda Hulugamuwa, Senior Additional Secretary to the President Russell Aponso, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority Buddhika Hewawasam, Chairman of the Export Development Board Mangala Wijesinghe, and several private sector stakeholders and business representatives.
