Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have held discussions on the possibility of commencing a cruise service from Colombo to Dhaka in the future.
The Tourism Ministry said the matter was discussed during a meeting between Bangladesh’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Taregmd Ariful Islam and Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga at the Ministry.
Attention should be paid to uplifting the tourism industry in the South Asian region through regional conferences such as BIMSTEC and SAARC. A joint tourism action plan should also be implemented in these countries through a conference of tourism ministers of South Asian countries, Minister Ranatunga said.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh High Commissioner said that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on tourism is expected to be signed between the two countries.
Stating that during a visit to Bangladesh by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa earlier, it was decided to sign the MoU between the two countries, he added that the MoU has been drafted and is expected to be signed soon.
The Bangladesh High Commissioner also pointed out that the assistance of those involved in the tourism industry in Sri Lanka is essential for the revival of the tourism industry in Bangladesh.
He further requested the Minister of Tourism Prasanna Ranatunga to assist Bangladesh in this regard. (NewsWire)