News – Page 3 – Sri Lanka Institute of National Tourist Guide Lecturers

December 25, 2022

The National Council sub-committee on identifying short- and medium-term programs related to economic stabilization.

The National Council sub-committee on identifying short- and medium-term programs related to economic stabilization called a meeting in regard to the issues of the tourism sector on the 09th of December 2022 at the Parliament of Sri Lanka.

MP Patali Champika Ranawaka, the chairman of the committee, headed the meeting and the Chairman of the Tourism Development Authority and other high-ranking officials participated in the meeting. Representing the SLINTGL, board members Mr. Sunil Geeganaarachchi and Ms. Isanka Gunawardana attended this meeting.
Our board members who participated were able to bring forward issues related to NTGLS such as salary increments, illegal guiding and illegal tourism activities done by foreign citizens. And these issues were taken as serious matters by the chairman.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Mr. Geeganaarachchi and Ms. Gunawardana for the hard work done.

December 4, 2022

The third of the series of scholarly lectures

The third of the series of scholarly lectures organised by the Educational Program Division of the Sri Lanka Institute of National Tourist Guide Lecturers was successfully held on the 23rd of November 2022 with the participation of a large number of members.

This lecture was delivered by Dr. Kalum Manamendra Arachchi, who is a specialist in biodiversity conservation, taxonomy, biogeography, paleontology, herpetology, ichthyology and osteology. During the lecture, direct and indirect effects of biodiversity and culture on the tourism industry were analysed in depth.

We believe that this lecture was extremely helpful in enhancing the knowledge of our general membership. We feel that the way Dr. Kalum Manamendera Arachchi generously shared his expertise with our members, who are settling their sights on the other side of the ocean called knowledge, was admirable and we would like to thank him for that.

On behalf of all the members, we would like to express our gratitude to Mr. Anil Munasinghe, Director (Training), who worked hard to make these sessions successful, and to our dedicated President, Mr. Manoj Maddage.

November 1, 2022November 3, 2022

Diploma in Archaeology and Cultural Tourism

Diploma in Archaeology and Cultural Tourism, PGIAR

The Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology (PGIAR), University of Kelaniya, in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Institute of National Tourist Guide Lecturers (SLINTGL), successfully conducted the first-ever Diploma in Archaeology and Cultural Tourism course which has been included in a university curriculum.

53 National Tourist Guide Lecturers successfully completed the course and were awarded the Diploma at a simple but dignified ceremony held at the Auditorium of the National Museum. The Chief Guest, State Minister of Education Dr. Suren Raghavan, presented the Diploma holders with their certificates.

On behalf of the Sri Lanka Institute of National Tourist Guide Lecturers, we would like to take this opportunity to thank Senior Professor Gamini Adhikari, Director PDIAR, Dr Arjuna Thanthilage, Course Coordinator, and the Academic Panel of PGIAR for their dedication to enhancing the knowledge of our members. Special thanks are due to Mr. Jayampath Senanayake for bearing the burden of organising the lectures. Last but not least, let us express our gratitude to Dr. Mahesh Thiththagalle, a former President of SLINTGL, for taking the initiative to get this program included in the university curriculum.

We wish all the best for the new Diploma holders! Congratulations!

Thank you very much Dear Teachers for shearing your valuable knowledge with us!

October 31, 2022November 1, 2022

SLINTGL Educational Program – Lecture No 02

Human settlements of Sri Lanka

The Sri Lanka Institute of National Tourist Guide Lecturers held an online lecture on Human Settlements in Sri Lanka on the 30th of October 2022. It was conducted by Mr. Don Anil Munasinghe, who is a member of our institute. Mr Munasinghe has completed his higher studies in the Russian Federation and bears Postgraduate Diplomas in Palaeobiodiversity as well as Archaeology and Cultural Tourism from the Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology (PGIAR), University of Kelaniya.

The lecture was successfully conducted with the participation of more than 70 members. It enlightened the participants on many vital and unknown facts about the early human settlements of Sri Lanka. Based on the “Out of Africa” theory, the lecturer traced the trail of the humans’ odyssey from Africa to the other continents. He went on to elucidate the way our great ancestors built up their settlements in various locations in Sri Lanka.

As the Sri Lanka Institute of National Tourist Guide Lecturers, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to Mr. Munasinghe for this valuable lecture and the time and effort he dedicated to it. No less thanks are due to all the members who participated in the event.

October 29, 2022March 17, 2023

SLTDA Licence Renewal for NTGLs

Your NTGL licence can now be renewed online for the year 2023. The following is what you need:

(a) A medical report issued by a registered MBBS doctor certifying that you are “physically and mentally fit to carry out business as a National Tourist Guide Lecturer and free from communicable diseases”

(b) A photo or scan of your current SLTDA licence, showing the last renewal date

(d) Passport-size photograph with red background

(e) A blank image or document

Click on the following link: https://sltda.gov.lk/en/online-registration-renewal
On the page in Image 1, scroll down and click on the yellow button “RENEW YOUR LICENCE”.
On the page in Image 2, enter your email address and password if you have already registered with SLTDA. If not, click on the red button “CLICK HERE TO REGISTER”. (If you have already registered but forgotten your password, there is an option to reset it via your email.)
On the page in Image 3, instead of “Renewed Success” in the image (this screenshot was taken after successful renewal) you will first see the option to pay Rs. 5425.64. You can make the payment only after submitting the required documents further below, so scroll down. Where you see “Already Submitted” for each required document in the image, you will see “Submit”. Click on those “Submit” buttons one by one and you will be taken to a page where you can upload the relevant document. (For the police report, upload the blank image/document. A police report is not necessary when you submit the letter from SLINTGL, but something has to be uploaded there to be able to continue.)
After uploading all the documents, tick the square before final submission and click on the blue “Submit” button there.
Scroll back up now to make the payment. You can make the payment directly with a credit or debit card. (Or else, you have to make the payment at a bank and submit the receipt.) For online payment, a government surcharge will be added and the total will come to Rs. 5534.15.
Take part in the survey for tourism service providers by clicking on the relevant link in the top menu, which is also said to be necessary for licence renewal.
Call Mr. Neranjan at SLTDA on 0112 426 971 and ask for confirmation and further instructions. (You will be asked to send hard copied of some of the above documents.)

*The above details are based on my personal experience and provided with the best of intentions, but no responsibility can be assumed for any mishap that might happen in your case. If you are not comfortable with handling all this on your own, call the first number above to make an appointment to get it done at the SLINTGL Office.

Sujeewa de Silva