• Says Sri Lanka should be made a nation which is alive 24 hours a day

By Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana

Bars, hotels and shops in Sri Lanka should be kept open for 24 hours in order to derive maximum revenue from the tourism industry, State Minister of Tourism Diana Gamage told Parliament yesterday.

 “Sri Lanka should be made a nation which is alive all 24 hours a day,” the State Minister said.

“Tourism industry cannot be developed if shops, restaurants and bars are closed by 10.30 pm. We cannot make the tourists spend money if we don’t have a night economy,” she said. 

Also, she said there should be a system in place where tourists could make bookings and make payments to visit wildlife parks and other places as soon as they arrive at airports. “We will make all these changes before long,” the State Minister stressed.

• Tourism industry cannot be developed if shops, restaurants and bars are closed by 10.30 pm.