News
Over 19,000 tourists arrived in Sri Lanka in first two weeks of November
Sri Lanka Tourism recorded 19,222 tourist arrivals between Nov. 01 and 14, and since the country opened its borders for Tourism, a total of 80,310 tourists had arrived in the country, Minister of Tourism Prasanna Ranatunga said recently.
He made these remarks at the inaugural event of Sri Lanka Tourism Expo 2021 organized by the Colombo University at One Galle Face mall. It was the first Tourism exhibition held in the country after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Leading hotels and travel firms in the country displayed their products and services in about 50 exhibition stalls at Sri Lanka Tourism Expo 2021.
Minister Ranatunga said,” Sri Lanka Tourism cannot recover only by providing extended moratoria for tourism industry stakeholders in respect of loans and leases. More importantly, we have to ensure that Sri Lanka is safe for visitors with very low infection rates, higher rates of vaccine doses administered per 100 people and greater compliance with globally accepted health guidelines and protocols across the industry.”
“With the collapse of the industry, many stakeholders have left it and found work elsewhere. So we need to take measures to attract more tourists and rebound the industry to pre-pandemic levels in order to bring them back to the industry. In this context, exhibitions of this nature are very useful,” he said.
According to the Ministry of Tourism, tourists that visited Sri Lanka in the said period were from India, Pakistan, the Maldives, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Switzerland, the United States of America, Canada and Russia among other countries.
News
Establishment of an Institutional Framework to Inagurate Upper Hydro Catchment Areas Management Authority
Policy approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted at their meeting held on 08.06.2026 to establish the Upper Hydro Catchment Areas Management Authority for identification and
execution of a formal and long – lasting remedy to secure the central hills including the upper hydro catchment areas enabling them to sustain amidst extreme weather conditions
due to natural calamities and human activities as well as to be used for the sustainable development of the country.
Accordingly, a concept paper has been prepared including
institutional structure, activities, powers, active subject area as well as administrative and coordination mechanism for the proposed authority by an expert technical committee appointed by the Secretary to the President.
Based on the said concept paper, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the President to instruct the Legal Draftsman to prepare a draft bill including legal provisions required for the establishment of Upper Hydro Catchment Areas Management Authority.
News
Introduction of Flora and Fauna (Regulation of actions of the Indigenous Community within the nominated areas) Regulations
With the objective of securing the traditional livelihood and the eco system of the indigenous community, it has been recognized the necessity of introducing a formal regulation methodology to secure their engagement in livelihood activities by being more sensitive to the existing laws.
Thereby, the Fauna and Flora (regularizing) regulations under the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance (Authority 469) have been prepared so that nominated activities within the prescribed area to a member of the indigenous community
who has been registered for securing the rights acquired from law or custom or usage or traditional stance to execute an act within a certain state land that is fundamental to the survival of the indigenous community permission can be granted
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Environment to publish the said regulations in the government gazette notification and thereby submit to the Parliament for its concurrence.
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M. M. D. J. Senarathne, appointed Director General of the Department of National Botanical Gardens
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Environment to appoint M. M. D. J. Senarathne, who is the senior most officer in Grade I of Sri Lanka Scientific Service se
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