‘Small Miracle’ - Lanka’s newest brand launched at ITB
Hiran H. Senewiratne in Berlin
Sri Lanka Tourism launched Sri Lanka’s newest brand “Small Miracle”
at ITB’s International Conference Centre (ICC) to promote the sector
with the dawn of the peace in the country.
|
The Ravibandu-Samathi Dance Ensemble dancing group performed
at the Sri Lankan pavilion at the ITB 2009 Berlin. Here one
of the traditional dances at the event. |
“The challenges faced by the tourist industry in the past two decades
have been primarily due to the ethnic conflict in the North and the
East. This has now gradually come to an end”, Chairman Sri Lanka Tourism
Bernard Goonetilleke told the foreign media.
He said that Sri Lanka has been a prime destination for Western
European tourists especially German tourists and we are now in the
process of entering a new era with the new branding and the new slogan.
Goonetilleke said that re-branding a destination is quite a tedious
exercise as it needs a carefully balanced out current survival as
against a long-term brand equity. Therefore, with the implementation of
the new Act a number of positive steps have been taken to strengthen the
industry in the country.
He said that under the new branding all communication material would
be revamped accordingly and this also includes the website. The Sri
Lankan Tourism website has also been upgraded to support the new move.
Goonetilleke said Sri Lanka has been branded as the “Small Miracle”
because within small land areas it has everything to offer tourists.
Therefore, it could also be considered as the value for money
destination. Sri Lanka Tourism hopes to embark on a major global
electronic media campaign via key television stations such as CNN, BBC,
Discovery and Al Jazeera. In addition they have also planned to promote
it through the print media during the holiday period in all trade
related publications overseas.
Managing Director, Sri Lanka Tourism/Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion
Bureau Dileep Mudadeniya said that the Sri Lanka travel and tourism
market is different from other tourist destinations in the region
because Sri Lanka is well-diversified, compact and an authentic island
in the world. The new branding augurs well in this new situation. |
