SLAITO says members stand by their President

With the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) leadership continuing to criticise the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) chief, the members of the association yesterday said they stand by their president.

SLAITO President Thilak Weerasinghe, who counts more than 40 years in the tourism industry, has come under harsh criticism by the SLTDA in the recent week, mainly for advocating for the removal of Chairperson Kimarli Fernando.

In a communique to the media, the SLAITO stressed that Weerasinghe has not brought politics into the association, despite his links to the Rajapaksas.
Weerasinghe is the father-in-law of Namal Rajapaksa.

“…he has always stood up for the rights and betterment of all industry stakeholders, majority of whom are from the SME sector,” the members said in a communique.

“We are a non-political body, affiliated to the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce and connected with other formal industry associations, through the One Industry One Voice partnership. We enjoy very cordial relationships with all stakeholders of the industry and public organisations and agencies connected to the tourism industry,” it stated.

The SLAITO stressed that its principal aims are to safeguard the interests of its members and to work toward the betterment of the tourism industry in Sri Lanka. The SLAITO membership contributes to the industry by bringing in 65 percent of tourists to the country (E&Y report 2020), making the association a major contributor to the country’s economy by bringing in valuable foreign exchange. 

The SLAITO is a not-for-profit organisation that first came into existence in 1975 and is the apex body representing the DMC or tour operators in Sri Lanka.