‘Fantastic’ branding campaign for Sri Lanka Tourism in the offing: Harin

Harin Fernando

PIC BY NIMALSIRI EDIRISINGHE 

• New and improved pitch for Sri Lanka is being conceptualised
• Says a significant proportion of key markets still unsure of what SL offers
• New campaign to be rolled out in two phases, targeting 11 markets

By Shabiya Ali Ahlam

Sri Lanka is all set to get its name out to the world with an improved value proposition, as plans are afoot to kick off the long-awaited global promotional campaign in July.

Tourism Minister Harin Fernando yesterday enthusiastically shared that coming up for Sri Lanka is a one-of-a-kind “fantastic” branding campaign that aims to place the island nation as a must-visit tourist destination. 

“Trust me. You are going to love it!” said Fernando, speaking to industry stakeholders and journalists in Colombo, yesterday. 

 He asserted that it is high time to rebrand the country and position it accordingly in the global tourism market, as the majority of the source markets are still largely unaware of Sri Lanka being an island and the unique experiences it has to offer.  Fernando pointed out that during the series of roadshows carried out in recent months, it is realised that a significant portion of the target markets is of the view that Sri Lanka is part of India and not a separate destination. 

All of this indicates that the destination is in need of a focused, well-thought-out promotional campaign, an effort that has not been prioritised over the last 15-odd years, Fernando remarked.  In 2018, the country’s tourism sector saw the launch of the tagline ‘So Sri Lanka’, which was not well received, largely due to the lack of a coordinated and integrated marketing and promotional effort to link the pitch to the tourism experience and products the country has to offer.  

Following the massive hit to the sector brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, in a desperate attempt to promote the country and aid its revival, sections of the industry went on to roll out several campaigns with different hashtags and taglines, resulting in a confused overall destination positioning. 

The upcoming promotional effort by the Tourism Ministry and Sri Lanka Tourism is to create a strong and single identity for Sri Lanka. 

While not giving the details and theme of the upcoming campaign, the Tourism Promotions Bureau shared that a 360-degree digital and communications campaign, inclusive of public relations and digital content, is conceptualised. 

The promotional effort will be rolled out in two phases. In phase one, the focus will be on ‘Rejuvenate Sri Lanka’ and phase two will be a thematic campaign. 

The identified key target markets for the campaign are the UK, Germany, France, India, China, Russia, the Middle East, Australia, Scandinavia, Japan and Korea. 

Meanwhile, acknowledging the need for promotions, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority Chairman Priantha Fernando asserted the need to improve Sri Lanka’s product offering.  He expressed confidence in the development of tourism picking up pace in the coming months since, unlike last year, Sri Lanka Tourism can now access funds to carry out the necessary activities.