Tourism Sector Joins Sri Lanka’s Digital Economy Drive with Strategic Blueprint Session

A landmark session titled “Digital Economy Blueprint for the Tourism Sector” was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Auditorium, marking a significant step in aligning Sri Lanka’s tourism industry with the country’s broader digital economy strategy.

Organized under the Strategic Industries Pillar of the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, the session aimed to catalyze digital advancement across high-potential sectors.

Opening the session, Ms. Aruni Ranaraja, Secretary to the Ministry of Tourism, reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to building a digitally enabled tourism ecosystem that can drive sustainable growth and global competitiveness.

Following the welcome, Hon. Prof. Ruwan Ranasinghe, Deputy Minister of Tourism, emphasized the importance of robust digital infrastructure, inter-agency collaboration, and innovation in driving sustainable growth within the tourism sector

Delivering the keynote address, Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya, Chief Advisor to the President on the Digital Economy and Chairperson of ICTA, presented the Digital Economy Blueprint, Sri Lanka’s national roadmap to building a resilient and inclusive digital economy. He underscored the tourism sector’s pivotal role in achieving national digital goals and advocated for a unified “Whole of Economy” and “Whole of Government” approach anchored in inclusion, trust, and resilient digital public infrastructure.

Mr. Sanjaya Karunasena, CEO (Acting) of ICTA, followed with a presentation on the critical role of secure, interoperable infrastructure in enabling seamless digital service delivery in the tourism sector. Mr. Harsha Purasinghe, Board Director of ICTA, further elaborated on the GovPay initiative, highlighting efforts to establish cashless transaction systems within the tourism industry.

The session concluded with a dynamic Q&A segment, where stakeholders explored collaboration opportunities and discussed strategies to accelerate the sector’s digital transformation.

Distinguished attendees included Mr. Waruna Sri Dhanapala (Secretary, Ministry of Digital Economy), Mr. Bandula Ranathunga (Board Director, ICTA), Mr. Sumudu Rathnayaka (Advisor, Ministry of Digital Economy), as well as senior officials from the ICTA, Ministry of Digital Economy, Ministry of Tourism, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, and the Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism & Hotel Management, among others.

This pivotal session marks a strong institutional commitment to integrating digital transformation within Sri Lanka’s tourism sector, advancing the country’s vision for a future-ready, inclusive, and globally competitive digital economy.