Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya said that one of the Government’s key objectives is to build an eco-friendly tourism industry that empowers local communities while protecting the environment and cultural heritage, ensuring that tourism revenue reaches small-scale entrepreneurs in villages.
The Prime Minister made these remarks while participating in the commemoration of World Tourism Day in the Western Province.
The National Conference on “Digital Innovation for Sustainable and Culturally Integrated Tourism”, organised jointly by the Western Province Tourism Board and the Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology of the University of Kelaniya to mark World Tourism Day 2026, was held on September 27 at the Western Provincial Council Auditorium, with the participation of the Prime Minister.
The conference was held under the theme “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism.”
During the event, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya presented awards and certificates to schoolchildren who won the digital competition organised by the Western Province Tourism Board for school tourism and travel clubs in conjunction with World Tourism Day.
The Smart Tourism Platform, jointly developed by the Western Province Tourism Board and Sri Lanka Telecom for the community-based sustainable tourism village of Alawala in the Gampaha District, was also launched at the conference with the participation of the Prime Minister.
Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said Sri Lanka possesses a unique heritage enriched by centuries of human creativity, wisdom, traditional knowledge and cultural diversity. She emphasised that safeguarding this heritage while contributing to the country’s social and economic development is a national responsibility.
She said a key objective of the Government’s manifesto, “A Thriving Nation – A Beautiful Life”, is to strengthen the economy by equipping all sectors with modern technology and implementing genuine reforms.
The Prime Minister noted that Sri Lanka’s tourism sector has recorded significant growth since 2024. More than 2.05 million tourists visited Sri Lanka in 2024, generating USD 3.17 billion in tourism revenue. In 2025, 2,362,521 tourists visited the country, generating USD 3.22 billion in foreign exchange earnings.
She said the Government has set a target of attracting four million tourists annually and generating USD 8 billion in tourism revenue by 2030.
The Prime Minister emphasised that achieving this target requires the knowledge and expertise of universities and research institutions to be directly applied to the practical development of the tourism sector.
She also stressed the importance of cooperation among the public and private sectors, universities and stakeholders engaged in heritage conservation to transform innovations into practical solutions.
The Prime Minister further said that equipping the younger generation and schoolchildren with digital knowledge, creativity and an understanding of Sri Lanka’s cultural heritage should form the foundation of a sustainable tourism industry in the future.
She noted that greater attention would be given to the tourism sector through the new education reforms and encouraged schoolchildren to consider tourism as an important career field for the future.
The Prime Minister reiterated that the Government’s objective is to develop an environmentally friendly tourism industry that protects Sri Lanka’s natural and cultural heritage, strengthens local communities and ensures that the economic benefits of tourism reach small-scale entrepreneurs at the village level.
