The Ministry of Tourism is set to submit a Cabinet paper next week seeking approval for a tourism promotion campaign estimated to cost Rs. 5 billion.
Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) Chairman Buddhika Hewawasam told Sunday Times Business that initial Cabinet approval will be sought for the Rs. 5 billion promotional campaign, which is expected to cover 12 foreign markets.
He said the Cabinet paper, which has already been discussed with relevant stakeholders, will be submitted next week. Tenders for the promotion campaign are expected to be finalised by the end of the first quarter.
Mr. Hewawasam explained that a monitoring unit from the World Bank will also be appointed to oversee the campaign. Recruitment of key experts responsible for analysis and monitoring related to the tender process is currently underway.
Meanwhile, internal approval has been granted to conduct interim promotional activities in the same markets through digital platforms and public relations (PR) campaigns. According to Mr. Hewawasam, these interim campaigns will be carried out at a cost of Rs. 1.5 billion.
He said the SLTDA is presently in the process of appointing digital and PR media agencies to implement these campaigns in the respective markets, with selections to be made from within those markets.
An ongoing digital campaign on social media platforms is already being conducted in major markets, including Europe, China, India, Russia, Australia and New Zealand. In addition, roadshows are scheduled to be held in Dhaka, Bangladesh, while consumer promotions in West Asia are set to commence from March.
Mr. Hewawasam further said that several new tourism products, including religious and spiritual tourism, will be promoted. As part of this initiative, familiarisation tours will be aligned to attract pilgrims along the Ramayana trail and to Shiva temples. He noted that the SLTDA is working closely with certain ashrams in India in this regard.
The Buddhist trail tour campaign is scheduled to be launched in March in collaboration with Thai tour operators, targeting Thai tourist segments travelling directly to Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka currently receives travellers on pilgrim tours along both the Buddhist trail and the Ramayana trail. The objective of the SLTDA, Mr. Hewawasam said, is to increase these numbers through the implementation of the planned promotional campaigns.
