Portray positive image of SL, say tourism officials

The tourism officials called on all citizens to portray and communicate a positive image of the island nation, so that the international travellers become more confident in visiting Sri Lanka. 

The senior representatives of the Tourism Ministry and Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) stressed the need to share more positive news of the country, so that the hard-hit tourism sector can witness a fast-paced recovery. 

“We are quick to highlight the negatives of our country. These go viral on social media and leave detrimental impacts for the sector, as potential tourists see them too. We seldom share positive news, so we need to be careful on what is being shared on these online platforms,” said Tourism Ministry Secretary S. Hettiarachchi while addressing a press conference at the President’s Media Division, recently. 

Impacting the tourism sector is also the manner in which the locals behave in popular attractions and sites, as often they leave the premises heavily littered.  

“This is one of the biggest problems we are facing. We repeatedly find that the locals damage and litter the sites. This is not done by foreign tourists; in fact, they are mindful about keeping premises clean. It is essential to behave in a respectful manner when visiting these places, else it impacts the tourism sector,” said Hettiarachchi. 
Efforts are also underway to embrace sustainable practises, which would further appeal to tourists, he added.
Furthermore, the need to improve collaboration to recover the tourism sector was emphasised by SLTDA Chairperson Kimarli Fernando.

Fernando stressed she is optimistic about the tourism sector witnessing a fast recovery in 2022 but for that to materialise, it is imperative for all industry stakeholders to come on to one platform. 
“I am 100 percent sure we can do it. We have a beautiful country that we can be proud of. To promote Sri Lanka as an attractive tourism destination, we need a collaborative effort. 

Let us all come together and support our tourism promotion effort,” said Fernando. 
Even before opening the borders after the spread of COVID-19 in the country, efforts were taken by the tourism sector to promote Sri Lanka as a safe and secure destination. 

The SLTDA in its promotional plan explored new avenues and channels, some of which worked while some didn’t.  
The SLTDA chief said Sri Lanka would continue to explore new and innovative ways of luring travellers, although the industry and public support are essential. 

Sri Lanka has set an ambitious target of attracting seven million tourists and generating US $ 10 billion revenue by 2030.