A sudden legal turn sees the government stepping back from a controversial tourism push, with courts and authorities moving swiftly to undo earlier approvals.
The government has informed the Court of Appeal that it will withdraw an official letter linked to a proposed tourism promotion aimed at the LGBTQI+ community, effectively abandoning the project.
The Attorney General told court on March 10 that the Chairman of the Tourism Development Authority will formally retract the letter that approved the initiative, which had been framed as a strategy to boost Sri Lanka tourism and diversify visitor markets.
The writ petition seeking to quash the decision to implement the tourism project was taken up for consideration today. During proceedings, the Attorney General said steps are already underway to invalidate the approval letter and halt any further action connected to the program.
After reviewing the submissions, the Court of Appeal ordered that further hearing of the petition be postponed until March 4. The move signals a policy reversal by authorities amid legal scrutiny. Further clarification is expected soon.
