Vanavasi Rahula Thera calls for privatisation of tourist sites

Vanavasi Rahula Thera

National Namal Uyana founder Vanavasi Rahula Thera has proposed the taxation and privatisation of tourist sites, including Sigiriya. 

Addressing a press conference at the National Namal Uyana yesterday, Rahula Thera suggested that, apart from sacred sites visited by local and foreign tourists, tourist destinations such as Sigiriya should be privatised immediately.

Rahula Thera highlighted the lack of basic amenities for foreign tourists visiting Sigiriya and similar sites across the country. “Tourists are not even provided with suitable lavatory facilities, yet the ticket prices are sky high. There isn’t even a place to park their vehicles. Tourists are being fleeced at these spots,” he alleged.

“The reality is that foreign tourists don’t visit just to stay in hotels and have fun. The Tourism Ministry and Tourism Board has a duty to attract visitors interested in our ecological, historical, and geological sites,” he noted.

Rahula Thera emphasised that foreign tourists must not be exploited. Instead, the country should offer proper facilities, ensure tourists’ satisfaction, and find ways to draw more visitors. “This requires better management. Unfortunately, this system is lacking in our country, and it needs to change,” he emphasised.