📈 THASL Urges Stronger Global Branding & Policy Reforms for Tourism Sector

The Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) outgoing President M. Shanthikumar called for immediate policy changes to safeguard the sector’s future, highlighting the formal hotel industry's crucial economic contribution: • Sector Impact: • The formal hotel sector is the largest private-sector contributor to tourism development, revenue, and employment. • Hotels employ over 70% of the nation’s tourism workforce. • Total investments by member hotels exceed US$ 15 Billion over the past 60 years. • The sector generates the highest tax and levy income to the Government from the private sector. • Outlook & Key Demands: • Tourism is confidently forecasted to surpass its all-time record arrivals by the end of 2025. • Global Promotion: An urgent call was made for a strong global destination-marketing campaign to compete and ensure high foreign exchange earnings, warning against mere volume growth. • Diversification: Faster development of the MICE segment is needed to absorb Colombo's room inventory and target a 25% contribution to overall arrivals. • Policy & Regulation: THASL urged for robust regulatory frameworks covering licensing, taxation, foreign exchange compliance, and the registration of all accommodation units. • Long-term Sustainability: Shanthikumar pressed for formally designating tourism as a 'service export' and encouraging foreign investment through investor-friendly policies.