One hat too many? Why foreign affairs and tourism each deserve full-time minister

Tourism doesn’t sell itself. It needs to be championed—by someone who understands how the global travel trade works 

This isn’t a political critique. It’s a practical observation—one I make as someone who has worked in tourism for decades and has watched Governments come and go, each trying to steer the country through different storms.

Right now, Sri Lanka has one individual serving as both Foreign Minister and Tourism Minister. On paper, this might seem efficient—one capable person across two important portfolios. But the question I keep coming back to is: can one person realistically give both roles the attention and strategic leadership they require?

Foreign Affairs and Tourism are not side portfolios. In our current context, they are two of the most vital pillars of national recovery. Each is complex. Each is demanding. And each deserves undivided ministerial focus.

The Foreign Ministry: More than just managing protocol

Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry is more than a protocol department. In today’s context, it is one of the most pivotal arms of government—and it needs to function with clarity, intent, and professionalism.

We remain under formal scrutiny at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), following multiple resolutions calling for credible investigations into alleged wartime human rights violations. The UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is actively collecting and preserving evidence, citing a lack of sufficient domestic accountability.

In March 2025, the United Kingdom imposed travel bans and asset freezes on four Sri Lankans, including three former senior military commanders, over their alleged roles in war-related abuses. These developments carry weight. They shape international perceptions and influence how governments, donors, and multilateral institutions choose to engage with us.

On top of that, Sri Lanka sits in a highly sensitive geopolitical zone, at the intersection of Indian, Chinese, and American strategic interests. We’ve long positioned ourselves as non-aligned, but maintaining that balance requires ongoing diplomatic effort and credible representation abroad.

Foreign affairs today isn’t only about defending our image. It’s about creating opportunity. The Government has made it clear that foreign investment, exports, and tourism are priorities. A skilled, commercially minded foreign ministry can contribute to all three—by

engaging investors, supporting exporters, and promoting Sri Lanka as a destination and economic partner.

But for this to work, the system must be capable. Over the past two decades, the foreign service has become increasingly politicised. Too many senior appointments have gone to political allies rather than professionals. The result has been a decline in continuity, expertise, and credibility. If we want results, we need to rebuild professionalism and place competence at the centre of appointments.

This isn’t something that can be managed on the side. It requires full-time leadership. Which leads to the next question: Can one person realistically handle this portfolio—and also lead the Ministry of Tourism?

I fully recognise that the current Government, under the NPP, has committed to a lean Cabinet of 21 ministers as part of its drive for fiscal discipline. That principle deserves credit. But given the complexity and national importance of the Foreign Affairs and Tourism portfolios, I believe this is one area where making room for an additional portfolio would be both justified and beneficial.

The Tourism Ministry: Harnessing unprecedented growth

Tourism is not just a feel-good sector for Sri Lanka—it’s potentially an economic powerhouse with one of the highest multiplier effects in the economy. It creates jobs across the spectrum, supports small businesses, generates foreign exchange, and helps rural communities thrive.

And it’s not just us saying that. The current Government has rightly identified tourism as a national priority—both for economic recovery and for long-term growth.

In fact, from January 2025 to date, Sri Lanka has recorded the highest monthly tourism arrivals in its history—surpassing even the pre-COVID peak of 2018. The rebound is real. The potential is enormous. 

But growth without strategy is unsustainable.

As at the time of writing, Sri Lanka still does not have a cohesive international marketing campaign in place. There’s no consistent messaging, no universally recognised tourism brand, and no strong promotional visibility in key markets.

Tourism doesn’t sell itself. It needs to be championed—by someone who understands how the global travel trade works, what investors and operators need, and how to build a product that is saleable, accessible, and desirable.

Take the Pekoe Trail, for instance—a world-class hiking route that had been sitting there all along but was only recently developed into a compelling tourism product. We need more of this. Look at the Camino de Santiago in Spain—once a religious pilgrimage route, now a world-renowned trail drawing hundreds of thousands each year. 

Product matters. And developing it takes vision, strategy, and collaboration.

A strong tourism minister needs to think like a commercial leader—engaging airlines, resolving visa bottlenecks, speaking the language of the industry, and building credibility with the global travel trade. That’s not a ceremonial role. It’s operational, strategic, and relentless.

A minister who understood the assignment

Some years ago, back in the day when I was attending ITB Berlin—the world’s biggest travel trade fair—I met the then Tourism Minister of the Maldives. We exchanged cards, and I noticed the back of his card had a striking aerial photo of the Maldivian atolls. “That’s my product,” he said. “That’s what I’m selling.”

I asked him what he typically did at ITB. He told me his team arranged direct meetings with the CEOs of the top European tour operators. And in those meetings, after the small talk, he would ask: “What can I do, as Minister of Tourism of the Maldives, to help you bring more tourists to my country?”

That moment has stayed with me.

What impressed me was that the Maldivian government clearly understood the value of tourism to their economy—and had placed one of their best and brightest in the role. The minister treated his job as one of sales, strategy, and service. He understood that he was the chief sales officer of his country. I’ve seen similar approaches in countries like Egypt, where the tourism minister behaves more like a business leader than a bureaucrat.

We don’t need to copy other countries. But we can take inspiration from what works.

So—can one person realistically do both?

It’s a fair question. And it’s not a comment on any individual’s capability. It’s a matter of bandwidth, structure, and where we as a country choose to place our priorities.

You can’t be defending your country at the UN in Geneva and promoting it at a travel trade show in Berlin at the same time. These are demanding jobs, in vastly different worlds.

If we’re serious about foreign policy, serious about tourism, and serious about recovery, then we need to structure our Government accordingly.

We have the talent. What we need now is the clarity of purpose—and the leadership architecture—to let that talent thrive. 

(The writer is a business leader with extensive experience in hospitality, tourism, and corporate strategy. As Chairman and CEO of privately owned companies and a board member of three publicly listed PLCs, he is actively involved in hotel development, asset management, and investment ventures. He can be reached via [email protected].)