Dheera Hettiarachchi appointed Acting SLTPB Chairman

Monday, 16 November 2026 05:10 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Dheera Hettiarachchi

The Government has appointed Dheera Hettiarachchi, as Acting Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB).

Industry sources confirmed the move, though no formal announcement had been made at the time of reporting. The appointment follows the resignation last month of SLTPB Chairman Buddhika Hewawasam (https://www.ft.lk/front-page/SLTPB-Chairman-Buddhika-Hewawasam-resigns/44-799539).

Hettiarachchi now heads three key institutions under Sri Lanka Tourism; Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management (SLITHM), the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau (SLCB), and SLTPB. The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) is headed by Suranjith Wewita, who was appointed Chairman in August following Hewawasam’s resignation from that post (https://www.ft.lk/front-page/Hewawasam-resigns-as-SLTDA-Chairman/44-796136)

The leadership change comes as Sri Lanka steps up efforts to regain momentum in international markets, with interim, market-specific promotional campaigns planned ahead of the winter travel season. These initiatives are expected to sustain destination visibility until the proposed Rs. 3.5 billion global destination branding campaign begins in early 2027.

With the SLTPB central to destination marketing and international positioning, the industry is awaiting greater clarity on the leadership and implementation of the country’s broader tourism promotion strategy.