Sri Lankan authorities to boost wellness tourism through EDB-MDF action plan
The Export Development Board (EDB) of Sri Lanka together with Australia’s Market Development Facility (MDF) are looking at promoting wellness tourism in the country through a ground-breaking strategic action plan.
The local media has reported that the broader international brand development comprises four phases spread over a 12-month span and will include a rapid assessment of the potential wellness tourism industry in Sri Lanka, product development, brand evaluation and development as well as marketing strategy.
Accordingly, as the first step in the brand development initiative, the MDF is supporting the EDB with an investment of Rs. 9 million to procure the services of Austrian wellness consulting firm Linser Hospitality GMBH, to conduct the first phase of the initiative, Rapid Assessment of the Potential Wellness Tourism Industry in Sri Lanka.
Renowned wellness tourism expert and lead consultant Linser Hospitality GmbH Managing Director Dr. Franz Linser is currently in Sri Lanka until 12 October to meet industry stakeholders and carry out a supply survey through field work, the local media has reported.
The objective of the project is to provide an overview and analysis of Sri Lanka’s wellness tourism capacity and define its unique selling propositions (USPs) by the end of November and based on the analysis, the assessment will provide key recommendations for a short, medium and long term strategy to maintain and secure new markets to position the country as an attractive destination for wellness tourists, media reports have stated.
“Wellness tourism is one of the key focused sectors in the National Export Strategy (NES). We want the wellness tourism sector also to contribute profoundly in achieving the $ 23 billion export target by next year,” EDB Director General Jeevani Siriwardena has told journalists.
The EDB added wellness tourism to the export basket from last year and according to official statistical estimation, Sri Lanka earned US$ 193 million from the sector in 2018.
The UK, Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Australia have been recognised as initial focused markets to promote wellness tourism.
OSL take:
Sri Lanka’s tourism sector is on a continuous growth path and authorities are engaged in many promotional activities to further boost the country’s tourism industry. After suffering a setback following the Easter Sunday attacks in April, Sri Lanka’s tourism sector has shown an impressive return to normalcy with increasing tourist arrivals to the country. There has also been an increase in foreign investments to the country’s tourism industry. Now the expansion in to wellness tourism in Sri Lanka would further increase business/investment opportunities in the country’s tourism industry.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/11102019/Z_1 |