Sri Lanka’s authorities have begun preliminary discussions on introducing freestyle skydiving operations as a potential adventure tourism product, with a focus on regulatory, safety, and operational requirements.

A discussion on the proposal was held on 5 February at the Ministry of Defence under the patronage of Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuiyacontha (retired). Representatives of Skydive Sri Lanka made a presentation outlining freestyle parachuting and its potential to be developed as a niche tourism activity, including proposed operational frameworks.

The discussion examined the scope for positioning skydiving as a new attraction within Sri Lanka’s tourism portfolio and its possible contribution to the sector, particularly in terms of diversification and value-added experiences.

Addressing the meeting, Thuiyacontha emphasised the need to carefully identify and review obstacles and challenges that could arise in promoting such activities in the country. He instructed relevant institutions to closely examine applicable regulations, security considerations, operational procedures, and other related issues, and to assess the overall feasibility of introducing skydiving operations in Sri Lanka. He further noted that the findings should be reviewed and followed up with additional discussions.