Sri Lanka charts new course for blue economy with launch of Marine Tourism Roadmap

SLTDA Chairman Buddhika Hewawasam (left) presents the Marine Tourism Roadmap to Deputy Tourism Minister Prof. Ruwan Ranasinghe. ADB Country Director for Sri Lanka Takafumi Kadono is also present

Sri Lanka Tourism has taken a decisive step towards redefining its coastal economy and strengthening its tourism portfolio with the official launch of the Marine Tourism Roadmap, a strategic framework aimed at harnessing the country’s extensive ocean resources for sustainable development.

The initiative, spearheaded by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) and supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) under technical assistance program TA9881SRI: Supporting Tourism Resilience, reflects a concerted effort to position marine tourism as a cornerstone of national economic resilience and environmental stewardship.



The roadmap, unveiled at a ceremony in Colombo, marks a culmination of over a year of research, consultations, and site visits carried out by an ADB-appointed international consultant team alongside SLTDA officials. It defines a comprehensive set of short and long-term measures to build robust, eco-conscious tourism infrastructure along Sri Lanka’s coasts, with a clear focus on balancing conservation with economic opportunity. 

International input was led by ADB-appointed marine tourism consultant Sea Going Green CEO Aleksandra Dragozet, whose technical leadership ensured the roadmap’s alignment with global best practices for sustainable tourism.

With Sri Lanka’s ocean territory spanning nearly seven times the size of its landmass, the roadmap underscores the vast potential of the island’s marine environment to generate jobs, support local livelihoods, and attract global travellers. Activities such as diving, snorkelling, shipwreck exploration, and marine wildlife watching are prioritised in the strategy, with a focus on minimising environmental impact and promoting community-based tourism models.

The strategy delineates two core tourism zones: one, stretching from Kalpitiya to Trincomalee, features destinations with relatively developed marine tourism offerings; the other, encompassing Mannar, Jaffna, and the North Eastern coastline, is identified as an emerging region with strong potential for future growth.

The final draft of the roadmap was validated by a Marine Tourism Steering Committee, comprising 18 key institutions including the Presidential Secretariat, Tourism Ministry, and stakeholders from both public and private sectors. 

In his keynote address, Tourism Deputy Minister Prof. Ruwan Ranasinghe emphasised the roadmap’s significance in strengthening Sri Lanka’s broader tourism strategy. He reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to supporting its implementation, citing the potential of marine tourism to drive inclusive growth, foster environmental responsibility, and generate long-term employment.

ADB Country Director for Sri Lanka Takafumi Kadono praised the project’s participatory approach and confirmed the ADB’s intent to support a pilot project in Pasikuda to test and scale up best practices identified in the roadmap. “This strategy represents not only a vision for marine tourism but a model for sustainable development planning,” Kadono said.

SLTDA Chairman Buddhika Hewawasam framed the roadmap as a national undertaking that requires continued collaboration across Government, industry, and civil society. “This is not merely a document—it’s a call to coordinated action,” he remarked. “We must work together if we are to turn our coastal potential into a globally competitive, environmentally sound tourism sector.”

From Negombo to Galle, and across newly prioritised zones in Mullaitivu and Mannar, local stakeholders have been deeply involved in shaping the roadmap’s recommendations. The result is a shared blueprint that reflects both the aspirations and the challenges of communities living along Sri Lanka’s 1,340 km coastline.