Governments around the world establish public-private collaboration platforms of different types to foster dialogue, to drive sectoral performance, to resolve key issues, and to collectively chart future strategic directions. The composition of, and representation on, these platforms can determine how effective and inclusive the deliberations are, how well decisions are informed and shaped by diverse considerations, and how likely plans and policies being formulated are future-proofed.

In Sri Lanka, many Acts provide for such platforms, and the focus of CSF’s newest Policy Brief is on the Tourism Act. It provides for private sector participation on the boards of the key public tourism bodies (SLTDA, SLTPB, SLITHM), SLCB, and the Minister’s Tourism Advisory Committee (TAC). CSF analysis of private sector representation on SLTDA and TAC over 18 years find that there are issues in both the law and practice of appointing members.

Though the Tourism Act includes limits to the number of appointments, ministers have occasionally exceeded such limits. Between 2007 and 2025, several persons have been appointed multiple times to the same body, and to both SLTDA and the TAC. Such repeat and concurrent appointments may not be beneficial in these bodies with different mandates. Female representation across both bodies is consistently low. The current TAC has no female representation. This is concerning especially given the increased public and private sector emphasis on improving the role and participation of women in the tourism industry. Private sector participation within the SLTDA is allocated to a few industry associations. Even in the TACs, which are allowed a broader scope, representation tends to be consistently from accommodation providers, multi-service providers, and persons affiliated to industry associations who are already represented in SLTDA, SLTPB, and SLCB boards.

The new government has a stated goal of reforming tourism institutions, which provides an opportunity to rethink private sector representation in tourism bodies. During the election campaign, the NPP’s ‘National Tourism Policy’ outlined their broad plans for a restructuring of government tourism institutions. According to it, it is proposed to re-combine SLTDA, SLTPB, and SLCB into one body named the ‘Sri Lanka Tourism Authority’. In addition, it outlines an apex body for tourism named the National Tourism Commission (NTC) and a tourism think tank named Tourism Policy Formulation Council (TPFC). While the latter will include participation of the private sector, the policy is silent on the membership of the NTC.

Private sector representation – however narrow it may be – is still a positive feature of the current Tourism Act. Since its enactment, the Act has been debated by different stakeholders, and at different points in time. With reports of a new Act being formulated, it is opportune to revisit the logic of private sector representation that a tourism act provides for. Even though drafts of the proposed new bill are not publicly available, it is likely that a new institutional structure is envisaged, reflecting ideas contained in the NPP’s manifesto. It can be reasonably expected that even in the new law, the Minister’s discretion over appointing members to tourism bodies will continuing. Therefore, an analytical critique on the use of discretion is vital in ensuring that such appointments serve the public interest.

While our findings should not be considered as conclusive due to some limitations in published data, it must serve to inform and inspire further enquiry, especially as the Government plans ammendments to the Tourism Act. Shaping more inclusive and meaningful private sector representation in the tourism industry’s engagements with the government must receive greater attention.

The Policy Brief concludes with three (3) key considerations and recommendations for government and private sector:

1. Private-public collaboration platforms in tourism must include members who can provide a more holistic and contemporary perspective of the industry. If the National Tourism Council is formed (as proposed in the latest draft), its composition should better reflect Sri Lanka’s current and emerging tourism value chain and better inform future-oriented tourism policy and tourism development plans.
2. The new Act must improve the relevance of, and representation in, tourism advisory committees. The ongoing discussions on a new tourism bill should include a reconsideration of the continued existence of the TAC – whether it is fit for purpose today. Amendments must clarify the link between the TAC and the other statutory bodies like the SLTDA (or its successor), to avoid ambiguity and confusion over roles and mandates. The scope of the Minister’s discretion should be better oriented to include greater diversity of tourism industry players, and greater gender diversity.
3. Industry associations could review their internal approaches to private-public collaboration. As appointees represent larger constituencies than their own business, a robust internal processes for how industry associations nominate their representatives onto the various platforms, and how the association’s views are presented to government, may need strengthening. Revisiting processes by which members’ concerns and views are systematically collated, organized, and channeled to platforms that they sit on, can boost credibility and inclusiveness of policy positions they take. It can boost confidence placed in them by the wider tourism ecosystem and strengthen the continued relevance of these industry associations.

Download the full Policy Brief here.