Country needs strong marketing programs:
Sri Lankan tourism has tremendous potential
Charumini de Silva
The Sri Lankan tourism industry has tremendous potential to grow
further with the dawn of peace. The opening up of the North and the East
has brought positive hopes to the Sri Lankan tourism as two-thirds of
the coastline, which was formerly under the control of terrorists, has
been liberated making it accessible to tourists.
Adventure tourism - watching wild jumbos from a canoe |
"It is essential for Sri Lanka to promote tourism with professionally
designed awareness programs to penetrate the market. During the past
three decades, the travel advisories of several western countries gave a
negative picture of the country and since peace has been established, it
is important to spread awareness among the travellers to the effect that
the country is now free of terror and safe to travel," a Senior Travel
Consultant, Rob Murrer told Daily News Business.
He said Sri Lanka is a beautiful country with a very rich culture and
a historical background. There are many places of interest for
travellers to explore. Another plus factor is that the travellers have
the opportunity to enjoy the hot and cold climates with the minimum of
travel and waste of time. This country is a paradise where travellers
would love to spend their holidays, but the tourist industry needs
strong marketing programs to promote tourism. Participating in
international exhibitions, distribution of professionally designed
brochures, approaching multinational companies, leading travel agencies
and chambers, holding road shows and e-commerce is essential to promote
Sri Lankan tourism, he said.
He said that there should be a target market to approach. There was a
tremendous market from Germany, the United Kingdom, the Middle East and
Japan.
As a start, Sri Lanka could focus on these markets and gradually the
country would be able to capture the other markets. A lot of tourists
visit the country to enjoy nature and the tranquil beaches, as they need
to relax because of their busy lifestyles. With the opening of the North
and the East to tourism, the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau has to
play a vital role to promote tourism industry by introducing activities
such as surfing, wildlife safaris, eco-tourism, snorkelling and
adventure, Murrer said.
Another Tourism Consultant Ans Peeters said there are various sectors
that could be easily promoted through and Ayurvedic medicine is one of
them as it has a great demand from the tourists. Sri Lanka could also
enter the market by becoming a paradise for shoppers, as there is high
demand for Sri Lankan apparel all over the world. |