President and Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development Anura Kumara Dissanayake presented Sri Lanka's Budget 2027 to Parliament today (12)outlining an ambitious roadmap to transform the island's macroeconomic stability into long-term structural growth. Highlighting tourism as a primary catalyst for foreign exchange earnings, which generated USD 2,245 million by September of this year, job creation, and rural economic revival, the government unveiled a comprehensive series of targeted investments, infrastructure upgrades, and tax relief measures designed to expand visitor experiences across the country.

Full Tourism Sector Budget Proposals

• Rs. 300 million will be deployed from the funds of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority to review the progress of the Southern Mist Triangle project, which is implemented centred on the Sinharaja evergreen rainforest covering the Galle, Matara and Ratnapura districts in the Southern and Sabaragamuwa Provinces, and to further strengthen it.
• Rs. 35 million has been allocated, in addition to the capital contribution of Rs. 133 million provided by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), to establish a centralized online e-ticketing system covering the main tourist attractions of Sri Lanka.
• With the financial assistance of the World Bank, at a cost of USD 77 million, the historic and ancient buildings located around Colombo Fort will be restored in a manner that protects their historical value and developed as a tourism zone.
• It is proposed to allocate Rs. 500 million to develop the Indian-assisted trilingual school premises in Polonnaruwa into a hotel school, including trilingual teaching, and to develop the Pinnawala Hotel School.
• The historic Dutch forts located in the areas of Jaffna, Mannar, Kalpitiya and Batticaloa will be promoted as tourism development hubs under public-private partnerships (PPP), while ensuring the antiquarian value and conservation of the historic heritage. It is expected to deploy Rs. 240 million for this purpose from the underutilized funds of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA).
• It is expected to deploy Rs. 500 million from the funds of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) for a concessionary loan scheme for tourism service providers to obtain the necessary equipment, including boats, to promote Marine Tourism.
• A Cruise Tourism passenger terminal will be established in the Port of Colombo. Financing of Rs. 240 million will be provided from the funds of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) to modernize passenger terminal service facilities in the areas of Galle, Tangalle and Trincomalee and to expand the services provided to tourists.
• It is expected to further strengthen the Tourist Police service to promote Sri Lanka as a safe tourist destination. It is proposed to provide a prompt and efficient security service to tourists by providing specialized training, deploying officers with multilingual capabilities, establishing special patrol units around major tourist sites, and introducing a 24-hour tourist emergency hotline service and a mobile application.