Tourism Alliance calls for bold reforms as country surpasses 2 mn tourist arrival milestone

• Cautions the govt. and industry stakeholders against complacency

Malik Fernando

By Nishel Fernando

As Sri Lanka crossed two million milestone in tourist arrivals in 2024 for the second time in its history, the Sri Lanka Tourism Alliance cautioned the government and industry stakeholders against complacency, emphasising the need for urgent reforms and strategies to ensure sustainable growth in the tourism sector.

While the increase in tourist arrivals is encouraging, Sri Lanka Tourism Alliance Chairman Malik Fernando warned against potential complacency while pointing out that current numbers remain far from optimal, with off-peak seasons and certain regions underperforming.

“The tourist season is looking good simply through an absence of instability, so things are looking much better, but it’s still a very low base. My concern is that there will be complacency because you could say, ‘Look, our numbers have gone to 2 million per annum,’ which is what our competition gets in four or six weeks. I’m not saying that we want to get to 20-25 million, but we should be able to reach 3-4 million. What’s more important than the number is the value,” Fernando said during a recent TV interview. 

Fernando emphasised the need to increase rates across all market segments, including home stays, budget accommodations, and luxury hotels, suggesting an uplift of 30 percent - 50 percent. He also stressed the importance of addressing shortcomings in the visitor experience and taking concrete steps to position Sri Lanka as a competitive destination.

Meanwhile, He raised concerns about the accuracy of reported tourism revenue figures, urging authorities to adopt proper tourism accounting practices.

“If you think that we are getting whatever that number is—which is a guesstimate —then your starting point is wrong because I’m saying it’s not even half of that, but nobody knows. They have to first know what our starting point is, what we are earning, or what roughly we are earning. Even if they don’t know exactly, they should at least acknowledge that we’re not earning as much as claimed,” he explained.

Fernando warned against overestimating earnings and being lulled into complacency by inflated figures.
Beyond tourism, Fernando advocated for a unified nation branding strategy that promotes not only tourism but also Sri Lankan goods and services. He argued that such an approach could elevate the country’s global profile and attract both visitors and investors.

He also stressed the importance of targeted consumer marketing and robust destination positioning to sustain demand and improve profitability.

“There’s zero consumer marketing. There’s probably a lack of understanding of what consumer marketing is. With digital media, it has moved beyond branding and traditional advertising like TV commercials. Now it’s about editorial visibility, social media, and using the right channels to attract a wider audience. We need to attract visitors who pay fair prices for our product,” he added.

Fernando called for the creation of a dedicated task force to lead a global tourism marketing campaign.
“This task force must be agile, focused, and equipped to execute a global campaign that positions Sri Lanka as a premier destination,” he stated.

He also highlighted the need for unified management of tourist attractions and improvements in visitor experiences to enhance the overall appeal of the country.

Despite acknowledging that the new government has been in power for only two months, Fernando urged swift action to deliver on promises outlined in its election manifesto.

“Sri Lanka has all the ingredients to be a world-class destination, but this potential will remain untapped unless we act decisively. The time to reform and innovate is now,” he concluded.