Courts to vacate Galle Fort to boost tourism redevelopment

Wednesday, 8 April 2026 04:28 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath

The Cabinet has approved the relocation of key court facilities from Galle Fort as part of a broader plan to enhance its appeal as a premier heritage tourism destination.

Designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, Galle Fort attracts over 300,000 local and foreign visitors annually. However, authorities note that congestion during the day and limited activity at night, particularly in areas dominated by administrative buildings, have constrained the visitor experience.

“The relocation is expected to ease traffic flow and improve accessibility, while enabling better utilisation of prime heritage properties within the Fort,” Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath said at the weekly post-Cabinet media briefing yesterday.

The proposal, submitted by Transport, Highways and Urban Development Minister Bimal Rathnayake, seeks to move the High Court and Magistrate’s Court currently operating within the Fort to a newly constructed judicial complex in the Beligaha area of Galle.

Following the relocation, he said the vacated buildings will be handed over to the Urban Development Authority (UDA) to be repurposed for tourism under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.

The initiative falls under the “Galle Purnajeewana Project,” an integrated development program aimed at conserving historically significant structures while adapting them for tourism and commercial use.

Galle Fort has already been designated a World Heritage Tourism Zone under the Greater Galle Development Plan (2021–2030), which envisions a balance between conservation and sustainable tourism growth.

“The latest move is intended to revitalise underutilised spaces, enhance visitor engagement, and create a more vibrant, round-the-clock tourism environment within the Fort,” Herath added.