Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2019-07-07

Revival of the Tourism Sector - 2019

- The tourism sector has contributed more than 4.5% to the Gross Domestic Production of Sri Lanka during the last few years of the recent past. Nevertheless, the industry was severely affected by the Easter Sunday attacks. Continuation of airline operations into Sri Lanka and taking promotional measures to attract more tourists into the country enabling the airlines to sustain their operations, are of paramount importance to revive the industry. Accordingly, the proposal made by the Hon. Prime Minister in his capacity as the Minister of National Policies, Economic Affairs, Resettlement & Rehabilitation, Northern Province Development and Youth Affairs, to instruct the Sri Lankan Airlines to reduce the charges for fuel and lubricant oil supplied to the airlines in Sri Lanka and the charges levied for other services such as Ground Handling Charges in order to attract airlines to the country, to instruct the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation to reduce the aviation fuel price to match with the aviation fuel price at Chennai Airport and to suspend the implementation of the Budget proposal for the increase of the Embarkation Levy by US$ 10, for a period of 06 months was approved by the Cabinet.