Tourist driving licenses streamlined
Certificates and driving licenses had been distributed last week
among 250 tourist drivers who were trained by the Sri Lanka Tourism
Development Authority (SLTDA), under the directions of Economic
Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa.
A tourist driver receiving his license |
They belonged to the 11th batch to be trained for meeting the
transport requirements of the increasing number of tourists arriving in
Sri Lanka. Already the SLTDA has trained around 1,800 drivers from
various parts of the country. The trained drivers are members of the All
Ceylon Tourist Drivers Association. This is one of several programmes
that Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa has launched to
provide foreign tourists with quality service.
These have been launched under infrastructure development to boost
tourism. Accordingly, the SLTDA has decided to provide tourism regions
with beach cleaning equipment, diving equipment and life saving
equipment as well as providing training in life saving. In addition, the
SLDTA had taken steps to build tourism shopping centres in Bentota,
Beruwala, Hikkaduwa, Kalutara, Negombo and Pasikuda under Minister Basil
Rajapaksa’s guidance.
At present, Sri Lanka has six tourism regions – Bentota, Kalpitiya
and Pasikuda in Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Kuchchuweli, Vakaray and Yala.
The SLTDA had modernized tourism regions in the North and East to make
them attractive to visitors.
The number of tourist arrivals in Sri Lanka last year, had been 1
million, while this year the number is expected to reach 1.2 million.
The Government’s target for 2016 is 2.5 million tourists. SLTDA Chairman
Bhashwara Gunarathna, Director-General Dr. D. S. Jayaweera and Director
(Domestic Tourism & Resorts), Mihiri Liyanaarachchi were among the large
crowd present at the meeting, where certificates and licenses were
awarded to the drivers. |