The government is planning to fast-track a Rs. 1 billion promotional campaign to address the recent decline in tourist arrivals caused by the war in West Asia.
Deputy Tourism Minister Prof. Ruwan Ranasinghe, speaking to the Sunday Times Business, said a Rs. 1 billion tender is expected to be finalised within the next two weeks following the ongoing evaluation process for the Australian market. The campaign will include digital marketing and public relations initiatives.
He added that Sri Lanka is also preparing to launch similar campaigns in other key tourism markets, including India, China, Spain, the UK, and several European countries.
However, Prof. Ranasinghe said that for these markets, authorities are awaiting approval from the National Procurement Commission to reduce the bidding period from 45 days to 15 days.
The Deputy Minister stated that this decision was taken due to the urgent need to implement the campaign.
Meanwhile, Parliament on Thursday approved a proposal to grant free visas to nationals of 40 countries.
According to Prof. Ranasinghe, the free visa programme will be implemented for a one-year period and reviewed after six months.
He noted that while the initiative could result in an annual loss of US$45 million to the Treasury, the government expects tourist arrivals to increase by 10 per cent, generating an estimated US$317 million in revenue.
Prof. Ranasinghe further stated that the 20 per cent drop in tourist arrivals had already resulted in an estimated revenue loss of around US$50 million to US$55 million.
