Sri Lanka to unveil unified national tourism brand with global campaign post-Avurudu
Daily FT: In a bold step towards redefining its global image, Sri Lanka is set to unveil a unified national tourism brand immediately after Sinhala and Tamil New Year, targeting both traditional and potential markets with an ambitious global campaign.
Addressing the media, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) and Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) Chairman Buddhika Hewawasam yesterday announced that this campaign will be formally launched at the upcoming National Branding Conference later this month.
“This is a two-pronged strategy combining digital marketing and global public relations efforts. It is designed to position Sri Lanka as a year-round destination, with a focus on the country’s diversity,” he added.
He said through this national brand, they aim to synergise with Sri Lanka’s export sectors, projecting a holistic and consistent image of the country.
Hewawasam said the campaign initially targeted nine key markets, but has now expanded to 14, bringing the total outreach to 20 countries when traditional markets are included.
With a renewed global positioning strategy, Sri Lanka Tourism is optimistic about surpassing the 3 million tourist arrivals target for 2025.
He said key digital campaigns and trade show promotions are already underway in high-potential regions, including Saudi Arabia, the Asia Pacific, Australia, CIS nations, and non-traditional European markets like Poland and the Czech Republic, between May and July.
“Our goal is to maintain a consistent monthly arrival of over 250,000 visitors and overcome the longstanding seasonality in the industry,” Hewawasam stated.
To boost both experience and revenue, he said the SLTPB is ramping up tourist engagement initiatives and infrastructure development. “The average daily spend per tourist at present is $ 171, and we want it to be increased to $ 200 through improved services and facilities,” he added.
He said the SLTDA has embarked on a formalisation drive targeting the vast informal tourism sector, which includes over 40,000 establishments compared to just over 8,000 registered in the formal sector.
“A new mobile service is aiding informal operators in the registration process, offering training, guidance, and benefits aimed at improving service quality and safety standards,” he added.
Hewawasam stressed that transitioning these establishments is not solely about taxation. “Many informal units lack the minimum standards and safety protocols expected by international travellers. We are studying global best practices to introduce regulations, especially for those partnered with online travel agencies (OTAs),” he disclosed.
He also said the SLTDA is taking firm action against unregulated tourist business activities and enhancing the luxury travel appeal.
“There are already many boutique hotels, villas, and five-star properties to cater to the high-end tourist segment. We are also looking at acquiring some of the underutilised heritage bungalows and bringing luxury travel to the North and East,” he added.
Noting that 26 tourism zones have already been gazetted, Hewawasam said there is a plan to increase this number to 42 with new legal frameworks to operate in those areas.
The Chairman also said Colombo is also set to benefit from new initiatives to boost its appeal. “Despite tourist accommodation and restaurants being abundant in Colombo, events are scarce,” he said.
OSL take:
Sri Lanka’s tourism industry is on a steady growth path with signs of further growth as the country is being identified as a must visit tourist destination. The proposed promotional campaign would therefore give a further impetus to promote Sri Lanka’s tourism industry in more tourist source markets. These initiatives also indicate the expansion in Sri Lanka’s tourism industry and related sectors, thereby creating a host of business/investment opportunities. The increasing business potential in Sri Lanka’s tourism industry are evident by the interest shown by international leisure and hospitality brands to enter into the industry as well as the expansion programmes undertaken by businesses already engaged in the tourism industry including in the leisure and hospitality sectors. Foreign businesses/investors could therefore confidently explore the growing business/investment opportunities in Sri Lanka’s tourism industry and sectors related to it.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/20250418/Z_8 |