SLTPB completes tender process for PR and digital campaigns in key markets

By Nuzla Rizkiya  

The tenders for the public relations campaigns and six-month digital campaigns targeting key source markets have been completed, with the campaigns set to officially kickstart next month, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotions Bureau (SLTPB) announced yesterday.

SLTPB Chairman Chalaka Gajabahu shared that the contract for five key source markets—India, China, the UK, Germany, and France—have been finalised, with 3-4 agencies securing the tenders. 

The total campaign for the five countries, allocated with Rs.1.3 billion, will be officially launched in September. 
“We have now finalised five countries. The awarding letters have gone out and the contracts are now finalised. We’ve been waiting to do this for about two years. So hopefully we will launch this campaign somewhere in September. It’s now going into production as well. So, it will be country-specific,” Gajabahu said while addressing the ‘EME Level Up - Digital Hospitality Conclave’ organised by eMarketingEye. 

However, the campaign will not be launched simultaneously in all the 5 countries but instead will follow a strategic approach that will consider the booking patterns observed in the specific demographics.  The campaigns will be heavily inclined to digital platforms to ensure that investments are directed towards profitable and sustainable ventures that drive long-term growth in the tourism sector. 

“The campaign is actually not an ATL campaign. It’s going to be 100 percent online. 60 to 70 percent of the budget is allocated to digital, 30 percent for public relations and most of it will be online,” Gajabahu said. 

He reasoned that the delay in launching the campaigns was due to procurement delays caused by the traditional tender awarding process, citing the need establish a brand identity campaign for the tourism industry. 

“We’ve been promising this campaign for 2 years. The procurement process was a big reason for the delay. The system is such. We had to go through that process because we have not created a brand footprint for Sri Lanka for 15-20 years,” Gajabahu stressed. 

He further shared that tenders for seven other top markets will be out in about 2-3 weeks with their paperwork being finalised. 

Rs.700 million has been allocated for the digital and PR campaigns in the 7 tourism markets including Scandinavia, the Middle East, Australia, South Korea, and Japan.