Steering Committee
The Pekoe Trail crosses land, forests, wildlife corridors, and rail lines that no single organisation controls. Six ministries, a dozen government departments, and the country’s main tourism and industry bodies all have a stake in some part of the route. The Steering Committee exists so those parties coordinate through one forum instead of TPTO negotiating each of them separately.
The Steering Committee sits above TPTO’s own board and management team. It is where policy questions and inter-agency matters get decided. TPTO continues to run day to day operations, trail maintenance, community partnerships, and the visitor experience, as the trail’s Destination Management Organisation.
The Steering Committee was formally appointed by at an inter-agency meeting convened by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism on 12 November 2025.
Chair and Convener
Chair: Hon. Minister, or Hon. Deputy Minister, in charge of the Tourism subject
Convener: Additional Secretary (Tourism Section), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism
Members
Each member institution nominates a permanent representative to the committee, so participation stays consistent from one meeting to the next.
Ministry secretaries, or their nominees
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism
- Ministry of Plantation
- Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs
- Ministry of Defense (Disaster Management Center)
- Ministry of Health
- Ministry of Public Administration (Home Affairs and Provincial Council)
Heads of tourism bodies
- Chairman, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority
- Chairman, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau
- Chairman, Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management
Director Generals, or their nominees
- Department of National Planning
- Department of External Resources
- Department of Project Management and Monitoring
Government departments and authorities
- Department of Wildlife Conservation
- Department of Forest Conservation
- Department of Railway
- Central Environment Authority
- Central Cultural Fund
- Road Development Authority
- Urban Development Authority
Industry associations
- SLAITO, Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators
- THASL, The Hotels Association of Sri Lanka
- TAASL, Travel Agents Association of Sri Lanka
- ASMET, Small and Medium Enterprises in Tourism
- Chamber of Commerce
