Top official calls for timely and meaningful World Tourism Day celebrations

A top official yesterday expressed dissatisfaction with the delayed organisation of this year’s World Tourism Day celebrations, calling for future events to be timely and impactful.

Sri Lanka 

Speaking at the national event held at Cinnamon Grand yesterday, Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management (SLITHM) and the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau (SLCB) Chairman Dheera Hettiarachchi criticised the decision to mark World Tourism Day 2024 nearly a month after its official date, 27 September.

“I believe that World Tourism Day should be celebrated on the same day or as close to it as possible and not after a month,” he stated, suggesting that the delay resulted from previous leadership’s concerns about potential unrest following the Presidential Election.

However, Hettiarachchi stressed that moving forward, the celebration should not only be timely but also more inclusive. “Rather than limiting this celebration to Colombo, it should reach different destinations and engage with the communities in those areas. This culture of holding it only in Colombo needs to change,” he said, whilst acknowledging that there is a luxury and comfortable element also interlinked to tourism.

Looking ahead to 2025, Hettiarachchi expressed hope that the event will align more closely with the Government’s policy of people, planet and profit, ensuring a more meaningful and sustainable celebration.