Major strategic changes in tourism promotion in Chinese market
The Sri Lanka Embassy in Beijing, in collaboration with the Sri Lanka
Tourism Promotion Bureau, held a workshop on June, 19 at the Embassy for
leading Sri Lankan travel agents operating in the Chinese market and
Chinese travel agents actively involved in promoting Sri Lanka.
The workshop was organised to give an opportunity for travel agents
of both countries to interact with each other and to come out with their
views and proposals on the initiatives taken by Embassy and the Sri
Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau to promote Sri Lanka tourism in the
Chinese market more effectively.
Both sides endorsed the action plan designed for the market and
agreed to extend their fullest cooperation. Senior officials of Aitken
Spence Travel, Jetwing Travel, Ceylon Tours, Walkers Tours, LSR, Lanka
Holidays and the leading tour operators in China who participated in the
workshop, agreed to invest and focus more on the Chinese market in
future.
Addressing the gathering, Ambassador Amunugama explained to the Sri
Lankan participants that China is a strategically important destination
and requested them to make more efforts and to allocate more resources
if they wish to benefit from this booming market.
Last year alone, there were 47 million Chinese outbound travellers
and almost all countries including South Asian destinations are now
aggressively campaigning in China to capture a portion of this huge
market. He stressed that Sri Lanka being an Asian country with similar
cultural and social interests, has a better chance of winning and
attracting the Chinese traveller to Sri Lanka.
Madubhani Perera, Acting Director-Marketing of the Sri Lanka Tourism
Bureau said following the re-focusing of the former Tourist Board into
four separate institutions, special attention is given to the Chinese
market and in future, more resources will be allocated to have effective
and efficient promotion in China.
The Chinese participants expressed their positive cooperation and
requested Sri Lankan tour operators to introduce more attractive tour
packages specially focusing the middle class and younger travellers.
Sri Lankan and Chinese tour operators requested SriLankan Airline
officials to introduce special promotional airfare for Beijing/Colombo
sector citing the rising air transportation cost during the past few
years. They said. “SriLankan Airline has a big responsibility in this
regard”.
SriLankan Airlines officials present at the workshop assured the
participants that they will look into the proposal more positively. The
Embassy, together with the Ministry of Tourism and Sri Lanka to capture
this rapidly growing Chinese travel market, Tourism Promotion Bureau,
has initiated a restructuring process with aggressive promotional
strategies.
As a first step, a separate Tourism Promotion Unit will be
established under the supervision of the Embassy with an experienced
Chinese Officer as the Marketing Manager.
Arrangements are also being made to establish closer relations with
Chinese tour operators since the Chinese out bound market is mostly
driven and dominated by well established tour operators. New incentives
such as, financial support for those who promote Sri Lanka, joint
advertisements, frequent FAM tours, easy access to travel related
information and introduction of attractive tour packages have been
announced.
With the conclusion of the 2008 Olympic Games in August, a massive
outflow of tourists is expected from China and both Chinese and Sri
Lankan tour operators were alerted to make use of this opportunity with
careful planning and preparation during the next few months.
Over 60 Chinese and Sri Lankan travel agents and media personnel
attended the event. The Chinese participants enjoyed the Sri Lankan food
served at the dinner while watching the Sri Lankan traditional dances
performed by the ‘Channa -Upuli Performing Art Foundation’.
The event was co-sponsored by the Sri Lanka Embassy, Sri Lanka
Tourism Promotion Bureau and SriLankan Airlines. |
