Prof. Ruwan Ranasinghe has stated that action will be taken to promote historically significant shipwrecks located off the coast of Sri Lanka as major tourism attractions.
Speaking at a media briefing in Colombo, he noted that several notable wrecks—including what is believed to be the world’s first purpose-built aircraft carrier—lie off Sri Lanka’s eastern coast and hold strong potential as unique underwater heritage sites.
He emphasised that these locations could become distinctive diving and heritage tourism attractions if properly managed and developed. However, he also pointed out that exploring such wrecks requires advanced diving technology and specialised technical expertise due to the complexity of underwater operations.
Prof. Ruwan Ranasinghe also raised concerns about the current state of underwater heritage protection, noting that some sites have been damaged or subject to illegal excavation.
He stressed that although these underwater cultural assets fall under archaeological jurisdiction, stronger coordination and more active management are needed to safeguard them.
“We need to mobilise and utilise these resources. We also need to protect them. That is our responsibility,” he said, adding that well-managed promotion of underwater heritage sites could generate significant tourism revenue for Sri Lanka if positioned effectively in the global market.
“One Trip, One Ticket”: EU Introduces New Rules to Simplify Cross-Border Train Travel
The European Union has proposed new rules that would require railway companies to sell competitors’ tickets on their own websites and share ticketing data with third-party booking platforms, in a move aimed at making cross-border train travel easier and more accessible.
The European Commission said the initiative, announced on Wednesday, is designed to create a more seamless travel experience, allowing passengers to search, compare and purchase international rail tickets in a single transaction. However, the proposal has faced strong opposition from rail operators.
“From Berlin to Barcelona by train. Today cross-country journeys mean several bookings and risks if you miss a connection. Let’s change that,” EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on social media.
Brussels said the reform is intended to strengthen rail connectivity across Europe and help reduce carbon emissions by encouraging a shift away from air travel. However, the commission acknowledged that progress has been slowed by Europe’s fragmented rail system, which is divided into national networks with different ticketing structures and pricing systems.
As a result, passengers often need to purchase multiple tickets from different operators to complete a single cross-border journey. According to EU data, nearly 400 million people travelled internationally within the bloc by air in 2024, compared with around 150 million cross-border rail passengers.
Under the proposed rules, rail operators would be required to make their tickets available to all approved online platforms. Companies holding at least 50% of a national rail market would also have to display services operated by competitors on their websites and sell those tickets upon request.
The Community of European Railways (CER), which represents rail operators, strongly criticised the proposal, describing it as “unprecedented and unjustified regulatory interventionism.” Critics argue that the measure could force dominant national operators such as France’s SNCF, Italy’s Trenitalia and Germany’s Deutsche Bahn to open their systems to competitors.
CER Director General Alberto Mazzola questioned the logic of the proposal, saying there is no precedent for forcing companies to sell rival products. He warned that operators who invested heavily in their own ticketing systems would be forced to open them to competitors, potentially benefiting large global booking platforms and increasing ticket prices.
Opponents also argue that the requirement to share data could strengthen the position of US-based booking giants in the market, shifting bargaining power and potentially undermining fair competition.
Mazzola further noted that cross-border rail travel currently accounts for only about 7% of train journeys in Europe, arguing that the main barrier is not ticketing complexity but the lack of high-speed rail infrastructure across the continent.
Major Shipwrecks Off Sri Lanka Set to Be Developed as New Tourist Attractions
