Sri Lanka Tourism chairman Buddhika Hewawasam resigns as Suranjith Wevita reportedly takes over, triggering questions over the leadership change.
The Sri Lanka Tourism chairman position has entered a new phase after Buddhika Hewawasam resigned from the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, with Suranjith Wevita reportedly appointed as his successor.
Hewawasam submitted his resignation in a letter dated August 17, 2026, addressed to the Minister of Tourism, Foreign Affairs and Foreign Employment.
In the letter, he cited personal and professional reasons for stepping down. His resignation has also been publicly reported as being based on those grounds.
However, sources within the tourism sector have offered a different account.
They claim the resignation did not come entirely voluntarily and allege that the subject minister had directly asked Hewawasam to step down. The same sources further claim that a powerful personal secretary within the Government had also communicated that request.
Those claims have not been independently verified.
Hewawasam had originally taken up the position following an invitation from President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
Sri Lanka Tourism Chairman Change Raises Questions
Internal tourism-sector sources further claim that preparations for Hewawasam’s replacement had begun before he formally submitted his resignation.
According to those sources, an appointment letter for the incoming chairman had already been prepared for the minister’s signature during the previous week.
Again, that sequence has not yet been established through an official public statement.
In his resignation letter, Hewawasam said he considered it an honour to serve at the invitation of the President.
He said he had tried to act in the national interest while preserving institutional integrity throughout his tenure from October 2024 to August 2026.
Hewawasam also pointed to the difficult environment in which the tourism sector had operated.
He referred to natural disasters, including Cyclone Ditwah, wider geopolitical disruptions and operational limitations affecting the aviation sector.
Despite those pressures, he said Sri Lanka had achieved its highest-ever level of tourist arrivals during his tenure.
He also noted that the country secured more than 15 international tourism accolades during 2025 and thanked both the President and the subject minister for their support.
Suranjith Wevita Reportedly Appointed
Suranjith Wevita has reportedly been appointed to fill the vacant Sri Lanka Tourism chairman position.
Wevita is described as a lecturer and serves as Secretary of the All Ceylon Tourism Service Providers Association, or ACTSPA.
He has also served as a member of a Presidential task force established to support development of Sri Lanka’s tourism industry.
In addition, Wevita is known as an award-winning dairy entrepreneur from the Central Province.
His reported appointment has already generated debate within parts of the tourism industry, particularly over whether his professional background matches the demands of leading one of the country’s most important tourism institutions.
Supporters may point to his tourism-sector involvement and industry advocacy.
Critics, however, are likely to focus on the extent of his experience in managing a national tourism authority and overseeing large-scale tourism policy.
The broader circumstances surrounding Hewawasam’s resignation have also fuelled political speculation.
Questions have emerged over whether powerful political figures or business interests influenced the leadership change.
There are also unverified allegations that the transition could be connected to longstanding disputes or cases within the tourism sector.
At present, those remain allegations rather than established facts.
What is clear is that the leadership change comes at a sensitive moment for Sri Lanka tourism, when the country is seeking to turn rising visitor numbers into sustained foreign-exchange earnings and long-term industry growth.
The immediate priority for the new leadership will therefore be to demonstrate transparency, continuity and credibility while addressing the questions that now surround the appointment process.
