Three new heads appointed to lead Sri Lanka Tourism

The Ministry of Tourism yesterday appointed three heads to steer the institutions of Sri Lanka Tourism after its Chairperson Kimarli Fernando resigned last week.

Appointed as Chief for Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) is Priyantha Fernando. Heading Sri Lanka Tourism Promotions Bureau (SLTPB) will be Chalaka Gajabahu, while Shirantha Peiris will steer the Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management (SLITHM).

In an update on social media, Tourism Minister Harin Fernando expressed confidence in the newly appointed heads bringing about the required changes to support the hard-hit industry.

“All three of them are most experienced and knowledgeable persons in the tourism industry who had a vast scale of international exposure too. I expect them to lead the industry to a great success in a short period of time with their planning skills and former experiences,” said Fernando in a Facebook post yesterday.

Meanwhile, the Minister hinted on his Twitter handle that the former SLTDA Chairperson Fernando will continue to play a role in the tourism sector. 

Sharing a picture of the duo after a meeting, Fernando tweeted: “Had a fruitful discussion with the former chairperson of @sltda_srilanka. Looking forward to working with her to develop the tourism industry in Sri Lanka.”

Fernando resigned from her post last week following a request made by the Minister. In a strong-worded letter on 24 May, Fernando called out the Minister for not meeting up with her since he assumed duties on May 20.

She called the Minister “unprofessional”, and said the “cavalier attitude” displayed by him does not bode well for the industry.