Tensions have surfaced within the tourism ministry after Deputy Minister Prof. Ruwan Ranasinghe publicly disputed a recent statement by Cabinet Minister Vijitha Herath, who claimed that Sri Lanka had earned USD 3.7 billion from tourism so far this year.
Deputy Minister Ranasinghe, citing official figures from the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL), stated that tourism revenue as of the end of June 2025 stood at just USD 1.7 billion.
He noted that July figures had not yet been released and expressed doubt that the difference, a staggering USD 2 billion, could have been generated in a single month.
“There is a significant discrepancy between the Minister’s statement and the actual data, and I personally don’t think we would have earned that much in July alone,” the Deputy Minister told reporters.
The original figure was announced by Minister Vijitha Herath, who oversees Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment, and Tourism, during a recent event in Nuwara Eliya.
In his remarks, Herath stated that USD 3.7 billion had already been earned from tourism since January and projected another USD 3.7 billion in revenue by year-end.
He also reaffirmed the government’s goal of attracting three million tourists in 2025.
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