The Visiting Blogger Programme (VBP) and the Visiting Journalist Programme (VJP) under the influencer marketing effort for promoting destination Sri Lanka is a great success than originally anticipated, Sri Lanka Tourism said.

Attributing the increase in tourist arrivals witnessed in the recent months to the promotional efforts rolled out by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), Chairperson Kimarli Fernando said the latest campaign “goes beyond the known and showcases a side of Sri Lanka the world has never seen before.” 

“Those responsible for the island’s recent rise to fame could hardly have hoped for better response, given the world sat and took notice,” said Fernando in a statement to the media.

She shared that under the VBP and the VJP, specialised content that was created in the country by popular travel sensations and e-influencers, reached over 2.8 million views on YouTube alone.

According to Fernando, it is such efforts that have helped portray Sri Lanka as one of the safest destinations for post-Covid travel. 

The SLTDA shared that some of the most recent efforts also include the extensive coverage of the island by 23 mainstream international media publications, travel writers, and international travel influencers.

The campaigns rolled out thus far are estimated to have generated a combined reach, via social media and other online platforms, of over 72 million viewers and advocates. 

“In just the last three months, over 500 individual social media posts and online news articles have spotlighted the island. The world’s biggest media outlets have also taken notice and this year alone several leading media platforms have advocated for Sri Lanka,” Fernando added.

While Sri Lanka Tourism continues to be aggressive promoting the country via influencers, a recent assessment of the country’s brand health by MDF and Twenty 31 Consulting Inc stressed the need for the island nation to get its marketing mix and promotional efforts corrected.

Discussions by global travel industry experts following the report launch pointed out that Sri Lanka must renew its approach and focus on other marketing efforts as well, since surveys carried out reveal that trust in bloggers and influencers have started to diminish across the world after the Covid-19 outbreak.