To promote tourism in the Central Province, the Central Province Tourism Department and the Regional Economic Development Agency (REDA), in collaboration with the Kandy Hoteliers Association, established the Kandy Tourist Information Center on February 18, 2016. This center operates as a self-sustaining institution, generating revenue by providing tourism-related services.
Over the years, a significant number of tourists, including approximately 30,000 foreign visitors, have benefited from the services offered by this center. These services include:
- Providing maps, brochures, books, and magazines
- Offering transportation facilities for tourists
- Using modern technology to deliver up-to-date tourist information
- Showcasing and selling local handicrafts
- Providing sanitary and rest facilities with high-quality standards
Between February 18, 2016, and December 25, 2016, 4,119 foreign tourists visited the center and availed themselves of the following services:
- Tourist information services
- Organizing travel tours – 140 tours conducted
- Ticket sales for traditional Udarata dance performances – 162 tickets sold
- Ayurvedic treatments – 07 treatments provided
- Sales of Kandy city maps and promotional brochures
The Tourist Information Center continued to provide excellent services in 2016, 2017, and 2018. However, the Easter Sunday attacks in 2019 and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 significantly reduced tourist arrivals.
In 2022 and 2023, tourism showed signs of recovery, and various initiatives were implemented to promote tourism while adhering to health and safety measures.