Saturday Sep 27, 2025
Saturday Sep 27, 2025
Saturday, 27 September 2025 01:27 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Sri Lanka Tourism has formally endorsed a pioneering project to promote and develop LGBTIQ tourism in the country, ahead of the World Tourism Day 2025.
In a letter dated 9 September to EQUAL GROUND Executive Director Rosanna Flamer-Caldera, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) and Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) Chairman Buddhika Hewawasam expressed appreciation for the organisation’s initiative to drive Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) programs within the industry.
“With reference to your letter dated 5 August 2025, on behalf of Sri Lanka Tourism, we wish to extend our appreciation to EQUAL GROUND for your initiative to promote and develop LGBTIQ tourism in Sri Lanka through Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&1) programs. We recognise the potential of this project to diversify our tourism markets and position Sri Lanka as a safe, inclusive and welcoming destination for all travellers,” he noted.
Sri Lanka...
The endorsement recognises the potential of the project to diversify Sri Lanka’s visitor markets while strengthening its image as a safe and welcoming destination for all travellers.
Hewawasam noted that EQUAL GROUND’s experience in advocacy, international networking, and its six-component program covering stakeholder engagement, training, awareness, employment opportunities and international promotional linkages aligns with Sri Lanka Tourism’s strategic goals of expanding the country’s global footprint.
Sri Lanka Tourism has also granted EQUAL GROUND the authority to work with industry stakeholders. “Sri Lanka Tourism is pleased to endorse this initiative and grant you the authority to liaise with relevant stakeholders in the tourism industry, including tour operators, hotels, training institutes, guides, and drivers, to conduct the proposed DE&I training and awareness programs,” it reads.
The initiative will also extend to international promotion, with EQUAL GROUND expected to participate in global forums, fairs, and LGBTIQ tourism networks alongside the SLTPB.
Hewawasam further welcomed the organisation’s proposal to present the program to President Anura Kumara Disanayake and relevant Cabinet of Ministers, assuring institutional support to facilitate those engagements.
“We look forward to working closely with EQUAL GROUND to ensure the success of this initiative, which we believe will contribute significantly to Sri Lanka’s tourism development and economic growth,” the letter added.
As World Tourism Day 2025 shines a spotlight on tourism as a driver of sustainable development, Sri Lanka’s move to embrace LGBTIQ tourism signals a recognition that inclusivity is not just a social imperative, but also an economic opportunity to secure a more resilient industry.
