SLTDA launches NTSP campaign to elevate national tourism standards

Wednesday, 2 September 2026 00:02 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

By Claude Gunasekera

The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) officially launched its nationwide capacity-building campaign, “Grow Your Tourism Business with National Tourism Skilling Program (NTSP),” on 31 August, from the scenic regional hub of Ella.

Directed under the leadership of Tourism Deputy Minister Prof. Ruwan Ranasinghe, the comprehensive initiative aims to transform micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) by accelerating their digital readiness and business formalisation across the local hospitality ecosystem.

The entire islandwide operation is under the direct coordination of SLTDA Director of Standards and Quality Assurance Tharanga Rupasinghe, ensuring that all rural operators align seamlessly with international hospitality standards. By utilising the framework of the NTSP, the campaign focuses on delivering essential digital payment tools, modern online marketing insights, and compliance frameworks directly to village-level enterprises, handicraft artisans, and independent tour operators.

Speaking at the launch event in Ella, Deputy Minister Prof. Ranasinghe emphasised that sustainable growth in the travel sector relies heavily on empowering smaller stakeholders to become resilient, data-driven participants in the modern market. “True economic resilience in our tourism sector cannot be achieved through large-scale infrastructure alone, but must be built from the ground up by transforming our local communities and regional MSMEs into direct, digitally enabled beneficiaries of global travel traffic,” Prof. Ranasinghe noted. Through this synchronised, localised training approach, the SLTDA intends to systematically protect cultural heritage while elevating the service quality benchmarks of regional travel hotspots nationwide.

Regional hospitality groups, led by the Ella Tourism Association, have strongly welcomed the launch of the SLTDA national skilling campaign, calling it a vital step toward safeguarding the destination’s international reputation. Local operators noted that rapid commercial growth in the Uva Province has highlighted an urgent need for structural standardisation, making the arrival of the National Tourism Skilling Program (NTSP) highly timely.

The grassroots response focused heavily on the benefits of formalisation and digital integration for the region’s diverse service sector. The Ella Homestay Owners Collective praised the focus on digital payment tools, noting that transition support will help smaller vendors capture direct bookings and reduce their reliance on third-party booking commissions.

The Uva Tuk-Tuk and Adventure Guides Association highlighted that the safety and compliance training will build trust with high-spending international travelers, effectively raising service quality benchmarks across the town. Local association leaders emphasised that having the SLTDA directly coordinating the field training ensures the program addresses practical, local challenges rather than just theoretical rules. Following the initial rollout, regional committees have pledged to work alongside the SLTDA to ensure that even the smallest village artisans and micro-enterprises achieve official registration, positioning Ella as a model hub for high-quality, community-driven sustainable tourism.