A discussion between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and representatives of tourism industry associations has been held at the Presidential Secretariat today (28) to discuss achieving the targets of generating US$10 billion in tourism revenue and attracting five million tourists to Sri Lanka by 2030.

Extensive discussions were held on the steps to be taken to further promote the tourism sector, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said in a statement.

Particular attention was given to improving domestic air travel facilities, especially to destinations such as Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Sigiriya and Jaffna.

It was also noted that 10 new international airlines had commenced flights to Sri Lanka this year.

Discussions were held on the measures required to increase this number to 50, the PMD stated.

The meeting also focused on utilizing national parks that attract tourists to support the growth of the tourism industry, while introducing laws and regulations to protect forest resources.

Progress on global promotional campaigns currently being implemented to promote Sri Lanka's tourism industry was also reviewed, the statement said.

Discussions were also held on bringing all tourist hotels and accommodation providers under the relevant legal framework by requiring them to register with the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, with the aim of formalizing the country's tourism industry, the PMD added.

According to the statement issued by the PMD, special attention was also given to introducing the necessary laws and regulations to govern businesses operated by foreign nationals in Sri Lanka in violation of the prescribed legal procedures.