Ranil Wickremesinghe, Sri Lanka’s PM, has said the island’s government “aims to transform the southern city of Galle into a leading tourism hub in South Asia due to its historic value and the World Heritage Galle Fort,” reports Financial Tribune.
According to Wickremesinghe, illegal construction within Galle Fort will be removed and government offices within the fort too will be relocated.
Cities located close to Galle too would see an uplift, the PM said recently at a forum on the Development Plan for Galle and its suburbs, and added that the government has “already made plans to start tourism projects in Akurala and Koggala.”
“With all these projects, Galle, I am certain, will become a major tourism hub in the region,” Wickremesinghe said.
He said Galle’s new development plan with the aim of promoting tourism will be implemented while preserving and protecting the precious World Heritage Site of the historic Galle Fort and no fortifications will be permitted according to the requests of individuals or organizations. Wickremesinghe further said all illegal constructions at the Galle International Cricket Stadium will be also removed accordingly. The prime minister had recently said Galle’s tourism plans will also focus heavily on conservation of the natural ecosystem and new laws will be formulated to protect the environment in the area during construction.
© Island Life