Hot on the heels of a stakeholder convergence in a common strategy to promote tourism, is a current discussion by the tourism sector, SriLankan Airlines, the Tea Board and the Export Development Board to maximise promoting the country through a joint campaign also using Sri Lankan foreign missions abroad.
Tourism officials, who declined to be named, said if Sri Lanka puts together the Rs 500 million promotional budget for tourism and budgets from other three state agencies which would run into a few billions, there would be more depth in an enhanced campaign. “Discussions are now on a common approach utilising all or some of the financial resources for a joint campaign to promote the country,” one official explained, a few days after the cabinet approved a 5-year Tourism Development Strategy aimed at achieving the objective of 2.5 million tourists and creating 500,000 jobs by 2016.
The strategy prepared by Basil Rajapaksa, Minister of Economic Development and Ministry Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundera in consultation with the industry, covers a wide range of issues including policy, capacity and manpower, infrastructure, service standards, marketing and promotion, tourist safety and domestic tourism.
It has seven key areas – (1) increasing the number of arrivals, (2) Attracting foreign investment to $3 billion in 2016 with between $600 million to $1 billion in the pipeline, (3) increasing direct and indirect employment, (4) increasing foreign exchange receipts to $2.7 billion in 2016 from $500 million now, (5) distribution of economic benefits to a larger segment of the people, (6) improving trade and economic linkages, and (7) positioning Sri Lanka as a ‘most precious’ and much sought after island for tourism.
Officials said for this purpose a plan has been prepared to create a condusive environment for tourism; attract new and emerging markets like Russia, the Middle East and China, and spell out the value proposition through eight ‘wonderful experiences’ – (a) beaches, (b) sports & adventure, (c) heritage, (4) mind & body wellness, (5) wildlife, (6) people & culture, and (7) festivals.
Officials said the new plan will look at customer care, ensuring guests are happy and standards maintained; and promote domestic tourism – which is similar or larger in numbers compared to foreigners and in this context focus on small and medium scale upgrades of rest houses and guest houses.
Tourism has been affected by the war between 1983 to May 2009 during which arrivals were in the region of an average 500,000, and these numbers have progressively increased since the end of the conflict with 800,000 expected this year.
In an exclusive report in last week’s Business Times, Sri Lanka Tourism Chairman (SLT) Nalaka Godahewa confirmed that a committee inclusive of representatives of the two main industry associations and SriLankan Airlines has been set up to prepare a promotion campaign that will run alongside current marketing efforts by the SLT.
The industry has been complaining that SLT was not spending enough on promotion and to provide more visibility to show the world that Sri Lanka was open for tourism after the conflict, and that individual tour companies were compelled to invest their own funds to promote the country overseas. |
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