Tourism development fund legally constituted

The Tourism Act No. 38 of 2005 was promulgated with effect from October 1. With the promulgation of the new Tourism Act the Sri Lanka Tourist Board Act No. 10 of 1966 that prevailed during the past 41 years gets repealed. In terms of the provisions contained in the new act the Tourism Development Fund gets legally constituted.

There are two main sources remitting fina- nces to the fund.

By way of 1/3 of the Airport Tax collections and 1 per cent of the turnover of all Sri Lanka Tourist Board

 registered establishments. The Act provides for the setting up of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority which will replace the Sri Lanka Tourist Board.

Marketing and promotion will be assigned to the Tourism Promotion Bureau. Tourism HRD functions and the Hotel School operations will be undertaken by the Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management. The Sri Lanka Convention Bureau will be restructured as a statutory body like other institutions to be managed by an independent Board of Management.

There are provisions in the Act to set up a Tourism Advisory committee with a Chairman appointed by the Minister of Tourism and 11 members other than ex-officio members.

To ensure a smooth take-off of the above institutions and to monitor the progress for sometime an Oversight Committee has been appointed by the Minister of Tourism.

The details of the Chairman and the board members are given below.

* Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority

Renton de Alwis (Chairman), Cassian Herath, Secretary, Provincial Council Ministry, S. Kalaiselvam, George Michael, Dr. B. M. S. Batagoda, Hiran Cooray, Abbas Esufally, Nihal C. B. Perera, Siri de Silva.

* Tourism Advisory Committee

Ken Balendra (chairman), Renton de Alwis, Janak de Silva, Prema Cooray, Peter Hill, Lalith de Mel, Susantha Ratnayake, Ranjan Britto, Thilan Wijesinghe, Nilmin Nanayakkara, Ashley de Vos.

* Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management

H. M. G. S. Pallihakkara (chairman), Hema Dharmawardane, S. Kalaiselvam, Feroze Omar, Dharshan Munidasa, Dileep Mudandeniya, Sri Lal Mittapala, Anura Lokuhetti, S. Paramanathan, Vasantha Leelananda, Sarath Fernando, G.M.W. Edge, Sumithra Gunasekera.

* Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau

Renton de Alwis (chairman), George Michael, S. Kalaiselvam, Dileep Mudadeniya, Dr. D. M. S. Batagoda, Gihan Perera, Ajith Gunawardane, Chandra Wickramasinghe, Amal Goonethilake, Sanath Ukwatte, Mervyn Fernandopulle.

* Sri Lanka Convention Bureau

Prema Cooray (chairman), Bandula Ekanayake, Dr. B. M. S. Batagoda, S. Kalaiselvam, Angelene Ondachchi, Dirk Grigson, M.Shantikumar, Dr. W. L. Sumathipala, Dr. H. W. M. Cooray, Nawaz Rajabdeen, Manoj Gunawardane, Prema Cooray, M. Farman Cassim.

* Oversight Committee

M. D. D. Peiris (chairman), P. M. Leelaratne, George Michael, H. M. G. S. Palihakkara, Renton de Alwis, Prema Cooray, Janak de Silva, Susantha Ratnayake, Ajith Gunawardane, Abbas Esufally, Rajan Britto, Hiran Cooray, Nilmin Nanayakkara, Krishantha Perera, Dirk Grigson, Mervyn Fernandopulle.