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Tourism veteran Priantha Fernando to head SLTDA, senior marketer to head SLTPB

01 Jun 2022

  • Experienced names to head two main tourism bodies
  • Harin appoints Shirantha Peiris as SLIHMT Chairperson
    Shirantha Peiris, Priantha Fernando, and Chalaka Gajabahu were appointed to chair the Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management (SLITHM), the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), and the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Board (SLTPB), respectively, yesterday (31) by Minister of Lands and Tourism Harin Fernando.  Posting on his Twitter handle regarding these appointments, Fernando said: “All three of them (appointed chairpersons) are experienced and knowledgeable persons in the tourism industry who have a vast scale of international exposure too. I expect them to lead the industry to great success in a short period of time with their planning skills and former experience. I wish them all the success in their future challenges.” Shirantha Peiris (MBA/CHRP) is a business professional and management consultant with experience at senior level in the corporate world. He has over 35 years of experience working for two national airlines – Srilankan Airlines and Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE – where apart from his training tasks and leading and managing large teams, he was also able to initiate projects related to product differentiation.  Priantha Fernando is a tourism professional with over 50 years of experience. He obtained his MSc. in Tourism Marketing from the University of Surrey, UK, and a Diploma in Hotel Management and Tourism from Belair College, UK. His work experience extended from positions in public and private sector organisations to senior positions in international NGOs. He currently works as a tourism marketing specialist on the development of the Bangladesh Tourism Master Plan for the Bangladesh Tourist Board, funded by the Government of Bangladesh through IPE Global of India. Chalaka Gajabahu has held positions in numerous roles over 27 years in driving profitability and efficiency, developing new business opportunities and expansion, and ensuring the growth and development of high-performing teams. He has held senior positions in many business organisations such as Phoenix Ogilvy, Grant McCann, Lowe LDB, EBC Broadcasting, Saatchi & Saatchi, Dentsu Grants, and DAN TV network. 


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