Sri Lanka, July 28 -- The Government's proposed 500 Tea Villages project will play a key role in strengthening Sri Lanka's tourism industry while increasing tea export earnings, Deputy Minister of Tourism Prof. Ruwan Ranasinghe said at the inauguration of Hotel Show Colombo 2026 at the BMICH.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the country's premier hospitality exhibition yesterday, Prof. Ranasinghe described tourism as one of the fastest-growing sectors of the Sri Lankan economy and stressed that the hotel and hospitality industry remains "the heart of tourism."

He said initiatives such as the 500 Tea Villages project would diversify the country's tourism offering while supporting one of Sri Lanka's key export industries.

The three-day...