Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has requested the private sector to take the lead role in managing and promoting the tourism industry. “Since the late 1960s the government has played the lead role in the tourism industry and many people still expect the government to play the lead role. We have other tasks in tourism, such as protecting the environment, visa regimes, maintaining service standards at hotels, funding and training etc. The actual hands on delivery must be made by the industry.” He was addressing the Cinnamon Future of Tourism 2019 summit, which was held today at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel Colombo, as its Chief Guest. In return for the private sector taking on greater responsibility, he promised that the Government would stop overregulating the industry. “We need to have a single window for investment and clearances must come quickly. There are so many restrictions in the building areas. We must have a fixed policy saying certain areas are for low rise and these are for high rises. There is a also an issue with local authorities. The day to day issues come up more with the local authorities,” he said. Highlighting the post-Easter tourism recovery campaign which never materialized, the Prime Minister mooted a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model for tourism promotion, with a larger stake with the private sector. “It has taken some time. I’ve been doing some of the pushing. The Treasury has agreed but we have to move the other agencies along. This is why we should have a Public Private Partnership with two or three companies. The industry would have a larger share and we would pass the funds straight to these companies so they can go ahead with the promotion. That seems to be the way out of this. But the industry as a whole must put in money and take part in this without leaving it to a few people.” The Rs. 415 million, 45-day campaign was to target Sri Lanka’s biggest tourism source markets to counter the negative perception of Sri Lanka created following the attacks and to position it as a safe and attractive destination, when a fresh procurement process was necessitated following the intervention of the Attorney General (AG) in August. Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) Chairman Kishu Gomes welcomed the PM’s statement. “When the PM said he would like a PPP to run the whole industry I was extremely pleased and I hope that will be the future. As SLTPB Chairman I only have authority to spend up to Rs. 100,000 and that too only within certain areas. The Board has authority to go up to Rs. 100 million but beyond that everything has to go to the cabinet. That is a tedious process. Furthermore, any agreement you enter into has to be approved by the AG’s department. So there are a lot of impediments not allowing the system to work the way it should.” Resplendent Ceylon Managing Director Malik Fernando, who is also the main driver of the #lovesrilanka campaign, also called for a PPP to be setup for tourism. “I would like to thank the PM for considering releasing tourism marketing to a PPP because that is where we are utterly crippled. Many of us in the trade are frustrated there has not been a campaign and we are struggling to get one up for next year.” #lovesrilanka is an initiative launched by the Sri Lanka Tourism Alliance, a body formed by Sri Lanka’s private tourism sector, soon after the Easter attacks to promote Sri Lanka to the world.