Mr. Prema Cooray, an icon of Sri Lanka’s tourism industry has been appointed Chairman of Reefcomber PLC. Mr. Cooray is widely credited for his pivotal role in elevating Sri Lanka’s tourism industry to international standards and for driving the concept of sustainable tourism.

Mr. Cooray is the immediate past Chairman of Aitken Spence Group and counts well over thirty years in the travel and tourism industry, most of which he spent at Aitken Spence developing the conglomerate’s hotels and resorts in Sri Lanka and the Maldives. He led the pioneering effort of the group’s large scale expansion to the Republic of Maldives in the early ‘90s.

His extensive involvement with the industry has included stints as Past President of the Tourist Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (1998-2000) and as the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau (2007-2009).  Mr. Cooray was selected by USAID to lead the Tourism Cluster from 2001 to 2008 which initiative introduced the concept of ‘going beyond beaches’.  The diversity in the profile of Sri Lanka’s tourism today is mainly attributed to the efforts made by this Cluster. He currently chairs a Rainforest initiative partnered by the private sector which once completed (early 2011), will bench-mark the best practices for Eco Tourism development in Sri Lanka.  

A much respected corporate leader, Mr. Cooray served as the Secretary-General/CEO of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce from 2003 to 2008 and presently heads the Project Management Arm of the Chamber – CCC Solutions (Pvt) Ltd. He also serves as a Member of the Tourism Cluster of National Council for Economic Development (NCED) and is a Member of the Grants Board of ICTA.  He also sits on the Board of Waters Edge and Lighthouse Hotel Plc.  

Mr. Cooray has an MBA from the University of Sri Jayawardenepura, is a Certified Management Accountant and he is also a Member of the Institute of Hospitality, UK.