Much to be done to achieve envisaged tourist arrivals in 2025: Tour operator

By Yohan Perera
Whilst highlighting that the general expectation in 2025 is to attract 5 million tourists, a top tour operator said Sri Lanka has to take certain important steps to achieve it.
“The total number of tourist arrivals which I would expect in Sri Lanka this year ( 2025) would be 2.5 million and US$  3.5 million in revenue. However the country will have to take certain significant steps to achieve this”, Island Leisure Lanka Ltd Managing Director Chandana Amaradasa told the media.
“It is essential to increase Sri Lanka’s room capacity to 100,000 from the current level of 45,000. We need to have high quality hotels four stars and above. Government should also think of releasing available lands for local and foreign hotel industrialists. 
My opinion is that even the old GPO office in Fort should be converted into a hotel. It is the location that matters when it comes to constructing new hotels,” he stressed.
“Sri Lanka should also have more skilled staff in the tourism sector. We also should upgrade our hotel schools.
“Another important factor which Sri Lanka should consider is making all luxury items duty-free. We should create a situation where tourists could purchase luxury goods duty-free,”  Amaradasa further said.

Island Leisure Lanka (Pvt.) Ltd which is headed by Amaradasa  is driven by a service-oriented vision with a modern management style. The company has made its business to exceed customer expectations. This aptly reflected in the motto – ‘Your Professional Destination Partner”. ‘The result is a vibrant atmosphere, wherein respect, genuine concern, reliability, willingness to serve and friendliness flew unabated between the company’s personnel and their customers and as well as the individual operators.
It handles most of the corporates, leisure, sports, high end luxury FIT clients, religious tours and large scale MICE tours in Sri Lanka.
Island Leisure is the first accredited member of IAGTO for Sri Lanka – which is the largest golf tourism association in the world. It was appointed the Official Hospitality Partner for Sri Lanka Cricket until the end of 2021.