brand logo

Proposed tourism legislation: Stakeholders and Minister reach consensus 

09 May 2021

  • Stakeholders given three months to submit proposals 

  • No new legislation without stakeholder nod says Minister 

By Uwin Lugoda 

  Controversy regarding the recently proposed Tourism Bill came to an end last week when the stakeholders in the industry met with the Tourism Minister to discuss the matter.  Stakeholders from the private sector have stated that their meeting with the Minister on Thursday (6) ended on a positive note, with both sides agreeing on a collaborative approach to the new changes.  Previously, the private sector stakeholders expressed their concerns over the new Bill due to a lack of communication from the Government on the matter.  When talking to The Sunday Morning earlier, the stakeholders stated that none of them had seen this new Bill, and believed that there was room for change within the current 2005 Tourism Act.  However, speaking to The Sunday Morning after the meeting, the President of The Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) Sanath Ukwatte stated that they were happy with its outcome.  He explained that the Minister of Tourism Prasanna Ranatunga stressed that any changes to the current Act or if a new act is going to be brought in, it will be done through discussions between the Government and private sector stakeholders.  “We are very happy with this. From the beginning of this issue, this is all we have been asking for, a consultative approach to this matter. The Minister has given us three months to submit our proposals with suggestions on how to develop the industry, following which, further discussions will take place. This will be a well-drawn out consultative process,” Ukwatte stated.  When asked about THAT's position on the plans to amalgamate the existing authorities, Ukwatte stated that they were never fighting for any board positions, despite the impression that was given to the people. Instead, he stated that they are a people-driven industry, and therefore, the stakeholders wanted a say in the management of the tourism industry’s future and its policymaking bodies.  He went on to state that the involvement of the private sector in state bodies also brings greater transparency to the whole process, which is why they had concerns over the board of this new authority.  He explained that this new act would give certain powers to the tourism authority and its members, which the private sector stakeholders want to ensure is not abused.  “We are a people-driven industry; we have people involved in every corner of our business and we also deal with people. Therefore, it is vital for the Government to engage with the players of the industry on any future development of the industry, and the Minister acknowledged that. So, we are approaching these future changes with the consultation of every stakeholder.”  As for the repealing of the Act, he stated THASL has not reached a final say on whether a new bill is needed or not.  Ukwatte stated that they will go through the changes required, and see if it is practical to do the changes under the current Act or if it is necessary to go for a new one.  “All this needs to be discussed with both the Government and private sector, so that we can find a proper solution. The Minister agreed that this is a private sector-led industry and told us that the Government will be there to assist us. We will work closely with the Government to drive this sector for the future benefit of the country and its economy.”  Similarly, Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) Chairman Thilak Weerasinghe reiterated that the meeting was very fruitful and the Minister had explained the Government’s plan to them, to which the stakeholders agreed on a lot of the areas highlighted.  He explained that the Minister gave them an opportunity to review the current Act and add anything they require or even omit certain areas that are not useful right now.  “He gave us three months to come up with the suggestions, so we will be putting together a team under SLAITO on 11 May, to work on this. This team will include both SLAITO members and outside professionals,” Weerasinghe added.  He went on to state that they are also in communication with local hoteliers to approach the matter in a collaborative manner, since this involves the whole industry. He stated that they will not only be talking to inbound tour operators but also the hotel sector and the SMEs (small and medium enterprises) of the industry.  Speaking to The Sunday Morning, Minister Ranatunga stated that the stakeholders have three months to prepare a proposal with their suggestions on the amendments.  He explained that the Ministry has already recruited a retired legal draftsman, who will meet with the stakeholders and note down their suggestions.  These suggestions will later be turned into a discussion paper, since all the stakeholders will have different views on certain matters. Following the drafting of this discussion paper, the tourism authority will invite the stakeholders for another discussion and reach a conclusion on the suggested changes.  The Minister stated that after reaching a conclusion, a draft paper will be drawn out and given first to an advisory committee within the Ministry and then the Cabinet. Finally, after passing through the advisory committee and the Cabinet, the bill will be drafted using the current legal draftsman and put through to the Parliament.


More News..