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The Charged’affairs of the French Embassy in Sri Lanka, Marie-Noelle Duris said that the Thema Collection has fulfilled a dire need of a four-star hotel in the cultural triangle to meet the demand of individual travellers (FITs) with the introduction of the company’s latest addition to its portfolio ‘Amba Yaalu’.
Ms Duris was the Chief Guest at the ceremonial opening of ‘Amba Yaalu’ Sri Lanka’s first hotel to be fully operated and managed by women, a 33-room four-star thematic resort in Kandalama.
She said “France is deeply committed to promoting gender equality and empowerment of women and added that she was proud to be in the cultural triangle to inaugurate the hotel which reflects the great ambition of Thema Collection.”
The imperative was to enable Sri Lankan women, particularly in rural areas, to work and to pursue value-added occupations, she said. Women account for 70 percent of the global workforce, but only 10 percent contribute to the formal tourism industry Ms Duris said adding that this initiative breaks down existing barriers to women’s access to jobs in the hospitality industry .
There was a lack of responsibility-level training in this field for women, as well as the discrimination against women which limits their career progression, particularly towards management positions, she pointed ou.
She said that the tourism sector in Sri Lanka was hit hard between 2019 and 2022, and since the recovery in 2023, the number of visitors to the country had gradually increased and eventually has exceeded two million in 2024.
French Embassy’s Charged’affairs stated that with almost 83,000 tourists every year, France stands as the second European country and the sixth in the world to to visit Sri Lanka and many foreign tourists visit the cultural triangle. She said
The diplomat hailed Thema Collection for changing the face of country’s tourism industry and empowering women, developing their skills to ensure greater equality between men and women in hostelry, particularly in management and leadership positions such as traditional division of jobs between men and women,
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MONETABRIEF – SriLankan Airlines which made a 12.5 billion rupee operational loss, ended up with a 35 billion rupee loss in the June quarter due to the collapse of the rupee, data in a Finance Ministry report showed.
Sri Lanka Airlines revenue had increased to 82.8 billion rupees from 62.6 billion rupees a year earlier amid the Middle East war. Aircraft were diverted through longer routes and some flights were cancelled.
Expenditure had soared 40 percent to 95.2 billion rupees from April to June.
Fuel costs rose 93 percent to 41.2 billion rupees.
The operating loss before exchange losses were 12.5 billion rupees.
“The company’s financial performance was further adversely affected by foreign exchange movements,” the Finance Ministry said.
The loss before tax was 35.6 billion rupee rupee, up from 12 billion rupees last year.
Depreciation inflates the value of legacy debt creating forex losses.
Central bank depreciation also inflates the cost of lease payments which are made in foreign exchange.
Depreciation and the inflation that follows, also makes air travel less affordable to domestic passengers and they may lose business.
Indian private airlines have gone under in periods of steep depreciation in the past.
Airlines based in countries like Dubai or Qatar (which used Indian rupees in the past but shifted to currency boards as macro-economists carried out the first devaluation in the 1960s) do not face the problem.
Sri Lanka’s central bank busted the rupee to 330 to the US dollar, pushing up inflation to 8.3 percent so far.
Unlike in the past the currency collapse in 2026 was engineered by dishonoring notes created by monetizing dollar purchase (actions of the International Operations Department and not Domestic Operations as in the past).
The rupee was debased amid a budget surplus, an excuse the central bank has given since February 1952 for monetary instability created mainly through domestic operations.
Sri Lankan Airlines has received a 30 million US dollar cash injection in May 2026, soon after a 175 million dollar bond was taken over by the tax-payer, a Treasury report showed.
ECONOMYNEXT — Nearly half of young Sri Lankans would leave the country if given the opportunity, even as a large majority report a strong sense of national belonging, according to findings from a nationwide survey.
The “My Sri Lanka | Next” study, conducted by Global Unites South Asia in partnership with the Centenary Movement, surveyed 2,418 respondents across all 25 districts alongside 22 provincial consultations to capture the concerns of Gen Z and younger Millennials.
The survey found that 80 percent of respondents identify primarily as Sri Lankan, and 73.7 percent feel a strong national belonging. However, 49.1 percent stated they would leave Sri Lanka if given the opportunity. Among Gen Z respondents alone, the desire to migrate reached 52.7 percent. Even among those who felt strong national belonging, 42.4 percent expressed a willingness to leave.
The findings point directly to worsening living conditions, job scarcity, and economic uncertainty as the main drivers pushing youth abroad.
Speaking at the launch, Prashan De Visser, Founder and President of Global Unites, warned that Sri Lanka must urgently address youth grievances before historical patterns re-emerge:
“As we look at Sri Lanka, our initial studies showed that almost every 15 to 18 years, we’ve experienced cycles of violence. And we are sitting at an 18-year mark.”
Economic pressure was reported as widespread, with 69.8 percent of respondents stating they are financially stressed or struggling, and 16.6 percent struggling to afford basic essentials. Financial stress peaked at 84.3 percent in the Northern Province and 78.3 percent in the Eastern Province, compared to 63.5 percent in the Western Province.
The report also showed that exposure to discrimination significantly increases the intent to leave. Among respondents who experienced discrimination, 55.8 percent were willing to emigrate, compared with 37.0 percent of those who did not report discrimination.
Addressing the assembled civic leaders, De Visser stressed that the country must build an environment where the younger generation can thrive:
“Sri Lanka deserves better. Our children deserve better. We have the power to be part of that change, and that is what today is all about,” he said.
The survey authors emphasized that intent to leave does not measure actual departures, but reflects an urgent need to make a viable future possible within the country.
A contingent of officers and men from the Maldives Police Service is undergoing training in Sri Lanka. An eight week long Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) training programme began on 2 Nov for 36 personnel. The elite Police Special Task Force (STF) is conducting the SWAT training.
The Sri Lankan mission in the Maldives said that the specialised training programme, which resumed after a gap of 13 years, is designed to enhance the officers’ tactical competencies, operational capabilities and law enforcement knowledge. Drawing on the expertise and experience of the STF, the programme would equip the participating officers with valuable knowledge and practical skills to further strengthen their operational readiness.
The mission said: “This initiative reflects the longstanding friendship and close cooperation between Sri Lanka and the Maldives, particularly in the field of security sector capacity-building. It also underscores Sri Lanka’s continued commitment to supporting the professional development of the Maldives Police Service through specialised training and knowledge-sharing.
A ceremony was held on 29 October 2026 ahead of the officers’ departure to Sri Lanka, with the participation of High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to the Maldives, Mohamed Rizvi Hassen; Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Mohamed; Deputy Commissioner of Police, Farhad Fikry; and other senior officials of the Maldives Police Service.
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