Sri Lanka Tourism should woo more tourists via marketing campaigns in untapped source markets, said the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Vijitha Herath.
He was speaking at the 59th Annual General Meeting of The Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THASL).
He said that there are many countries that fall into this category and promotions and road shows should be directed to these areas.
He said that more Research and Development should be conducted to find new methods to attract tourists from non tapped markets which will help Sri Lanka to upgrade from a seasonal to a ’year round’ destination.
The Minister said that the steps should be taken to increase ‘per spend a day’ by tourists and also make them stay longer. “We wish to make tourism the top forex earner for the country ensuring that its economic benefits also trickle down to the rural areas as well, creating more employment.”
Central Bank Governor Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe said that the tourism stakeholders can look forward to better times as the country’s economic landscape is improving fast and will reach ‘economic normalcy’ next year. “Political stability with a new president backed by a very strong Government will help achieve long-term sustainable economic growth.”
Recalling the recent past he said that Sri Lanka was sans both economic and political stability. “However today the country is in a much more stable position on both fronts,.”
Dr. Weerasinghe stressed that the new government recognizes tourism as a cornerstone of Sri Lanka’s economic revival and it is committed to positioning Sri Lanka as a top sustainable tourism destination in the world.
“This is not only a vital element for short-term solutions to our financial challenges but also a key to long-term sustainable growth.”
The president elect Shanthi Kumara said that there was no proper marketing campaign done for more than a decade and this is an urgent need for the sector. He also thanked the ITC hotel for sponsoring and hosting the event.
Sri Lanka Tourism Chairman Buddhika Hewawasam said that they are set to unveil a unified national brand in January instead of going ahead with campaign taglines, aiming to redefine the country’s global tourism appeal.
“We are targeting over 3 million arrivals and over USD 5 billion revenue for 2025 and hope to further increase these two figures by 2023.”
