Sri Lanka to Develop Tourism in ‘Sugarcane Lands’

The Sri Lankan government has decided to invite investor proposals to develop tourism projects on sugarcane plantations in deep rural Buttala.

Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the call for investors under Public–Private Partnership (PPP) projects.

“There is potential to develop selected areas of the Pelwatte Sugar Factory as tourist attraction sites,” Cabinet Minister Nalinda Jayatissa told reporters.

The nearly six-decade-old sugar company owns approximately 7,000 hectares of land. Under this initiative, investors may be offered suitable land parcels with attractive scenic views to develop tourism-related projects.

The Lanka Sugar Company Limited operates its main sugar factory and holds extensive land in Buttala, located in the Monaragala District of Sri Lanka’s Uva Province.

Although the area is not traditionally known as a tourism destination, potential investors could focus on eco-friendly developments aimed at attracting nature-loving tourists.

Monaragala borders the Hambantota District, which hosts an international airport and a seaport, and is accessible within approximately 1.5 to 2.5 hours, depending on the point of departure.

The move comes as Sri Lanka recorded a Bumper Harvest in tourism arrivals last year.

A 2.4 million plus tourists arrived in 2025, a record, while the earnings rose to US$ 3.2 billion.

Sri Lanka plans big earnings in the coming years from tourism as the nation is among top trending travel destinations in the world, as of now.