Sri Lanka launches roadshow charm offensive

sri-lanka-leopard

A leopard spotted in one of Sri Lanka’s national parks

THE SRI Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) is reinforcing destination promotion efforts in international markets to achieve its 2016 target of 2.2 million tourist arrivals, having received 964,267 visitors in the first half of the year. Last year, Sri Lanka saw a 17.8 per cent increase in arrivals to 1.8 million.

The bureau is now on a roadshow mission to showcase the country’s offerings with inbound agents. Countries covered so far include China and South Korea, and the bureau will organise roadshows in Japan, Australia, Norway, Denmark and Sweden, among others, according to Kalpa Gunasinghe, junior manager for marketing at the tourism promotion bureau.

Mohan de S Meegolle, country manager for Singapore and Indonesia at Sri Lankan Airlines, said during the roadshow led by SLTPB in Singapore last Friday: “Sri Lanka is a wonderful destination with lots to offer but (many) do not know enough about it.”

The national carrier has also thrown action behind the NTO’s marketing ambitions, for instance, by engaging agents in joint promotions and assisting with itinerary planning, he shared.

Meegolle added: “There are plans to expand our network to secondary cities in China. We currently offer charters to Chongqing but may go on to launch regular services (on this route).”

Gunasinghe told TTG Asia that SLTPB has allocated an estimated Rs150 million (US$1 million) for promotions in China alone, while recent reports state the bureau is to spend Rs800 million on promotional campaigns in 2016 and 2017.

For Sri Lanka, China represents a fast-growing market expected to surpass top source country, India, by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, Rukshan Perara, sales and marketing manager at Sri Lanka-based agency Serene Vacations, said inbound business has improved in recent years, with China and India being the strongest markets followed by the Middle East and Europe.

Commenting on promotional support from the bureau, he said: “It is good since we get to participate in international roadshows. But it is not (the best) – the government is not spending as much on promotions as before.”

Local industry players had also lamented that Sri Lanka did not meet its full tourism potential in the post-war years due to the NTO’s lack of a targeted marketing plan in promoting the destination.

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