The Tourism Ministry has played down concerns surrounding Jewish Chabad Houses, noting the local Muslim community, in particular, has no objection to their presence, and warning that isolated issues were being amplified by parties seeking to disrupt tourism.
Tourism Deputy Minister Prof. Ruwan Ranasinghe said he had discussed the matter with community representatives and the Minister about two weeks ago and found no fundamental opposition from the local Muslim community to the operation of Chabad Houses in Arugam Bay.
‘The Muslim community, they have no problem there in Arugam Bay. They’re really okay with that,’ he said, adding that tourism was continuing to function normally in the area.
As per Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) data, 16,887 Israel tourists have visited the country from 1 January to 16 August 2026. Israel is among the top 20 source markets of Sri Lanka, currently ranked in 18th place.
The Deputy Minister, however, acknowledged that issues had emerged from time to time, but suggested that some were being ‘exaggerated’ for other purposes.
‘There are some issues that are being created as well and, you know, over-promoted,’ he said, responding to a query posed at the media briefing to announce the launching of the Sri Lanka Tourism interim marketing blitz last week.
Prof. Ranasinghe warned that different parties who want to sabotage tourism could seize on relatively ‘minor’ incidents and turn them into larger controversies.
The remarks come against the backdrop of heightened scrutiny of Chabad Houses and the activities of Israeli nationals in Sri Lanka, particularly following security alerts issued over the past two years.
Chabad Houses are Jewish community centres that typically provide prayer facilities, kosher food, and accommodation for Jewish and Israeli travellers. Such centres operate in several tourist destinations globally as well as locally, including Colombo, Weligama, Hikkaduwa, and Arugam Bay, with a more recent establishment in Hiriketiya.
The issue has gained additional sensitivity amid the continuing conflict in Gaza and wider tensions between Israel and Palestine, particularly in areas with significant Muslim communities.
Security concerns came to a head in October 2024, when the US Embassy in Colombo and Israel’s National Security Council issued warnings of a credible terrorist threat targeting tourist locations in Arugam Bay and along Sri Lanka’s southern coast.
Israeli and Jewish travellers in the affected areas were advised to leave or relocate to Colombo, prompting the Sri Lankan authorities to deploy additional Police and Special Task Force (STF) personnel, including security checkpoints and roadblocks (https://www.ft.lk/front-page/22-Israeli-nationals-depart-amid-security-warnings/44-768423).
The episode placed Arugam Bay, one of Sri Lanka’s best-known surfing destinations, at the centre of an international security alert and highlighted the vulnerability of tourism-dependent areas to geopolitical tensions.
The latest comments from the Tourism Deputy Minister appear aimed at containing the issue before it develops into another tourism-related security controversy.
The issue nevertheless remains sensitive for Sri Lanka’s tourism sector, which is attempting to rebuild international visitor confidence while expanding its promotional campaigns across key source markets.
With the country seeking to increase arrivals and tourism earnings sharply, officials are increasingly conscious that security perceptions, particularly those linked to the Middle East conflict, could have an outsized impact on visitor decisions and airline connectivity.
For Arugam Bay, where tourism is closely tied to international surfing and long-stay travellers, maintaining both community acceptance and a credible security environment will therefore remain critical as Sri Lanka enters the peak tourism period.