SL steps up sustainable tourism push in North: Dep Min Ranasinghe

Sri Lanka is stepping up sustainable tourism development in the Northern Province, with Kokilai Puliyamunai village considered as a sustainable tourism village, to promote authentic tourism experiences, Deputy Minister of Tourism Prof Ruwan Ranasinghe said in Parliament yesterday (8).

Prof Ranasinghe said: “The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) has considered the Kokkilai Palamunai village in the Northern Province as a vibrant sustainable tourism village, providing support for community-based organisations, small-scale infrastructure development, livelihoods and skills-building programmes, local heritage tourism products and authentic tourism experiences.”

“The Northern Province’s tourism plan focuses on the tourism potential, infrastructure requirements, development opportunities and safeguarding local culture and ecosystems within the district, ensuring the participation of local communities and protecting their aspirations,” Prof Ranasinghe said.

Meanwhile, Batticaloa District Member of Parliament Shanakiyan Rasamanickam highlighted the importance of respecting the linguistic and cultural identity of the Northern and Eastern Provinces.

“Star-class hotels in these regions had traditionally welcomed visitors with the Tamil greeting ‘Vanakkam’, but that this practice had increasingly been replaced by the Sinhala greeting ‘Ayubowan’,” Rasamanickam said.

He stressed that respecting the distinctive languages and cultural traditions of different regions was an important part of responsible tourism development. 

“Therefore, this plan provides the strategic guidance necessary to prioritise and implement tourism development projects across the Northern Province,” Prof Ranasinghe said.

The Government has also allocated funds for tourism development, including improving access to local ecotourism sites.

Prof Ranasinghe said: “The Ministry incurred an expenditure of Rs 424 million on 46 projects in 2025, and has allocated Rs 930 million for 2026 for the development of the tourism sector, including improvement of access to local eco tourism sites.”

“Accordingly, the development projects aimed at improving access to ecotourism sites in the Northern Province were implemented in 2025, and scheduled for implementation in 2026 through district secretariats and the local government institutions,” he said.

Rasamanickam also stressed that tourism development should provide meaningful opportunities for ordinary residents and small and medium-sized enterprises rather than concentrating benefits among major investors.

Rasamanickam further emphasised that tourism development must generate employment, support local suppliers and encourage community-based enterprises and that such projects must be properly planned and designed to generate direct economic benefits for local residents.

Prof Ranasinghe further added: “The SLTDA collaborates with industry stakeholders and state agencies to raise awareness among tourism service providers regarding the standards and quality requirements necessary for establishing, registering and operating tourism enterprises, while also offering them technical guidance and support.”

“Accordingly, SLTDA has agreed to establish five such centres and is seeking a suitable location in the Vavuniya District, representing the Northern Province,” Prof Ranasinghe noted.