SL explores digital tourism to lure travellers

Tourism ministry received the Cabinet nod yesterday to promote Sri Lanka as a favourable destination for digital tourists, an effort that would assist the hard hit industry to steer though the new normal.

Digital tourism is the use of digital tools to prepare, organize, control and enjoy the travel experience.

The Cabinet approved last evening a proposal put furnished by Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga to launch a promotional programme to pitch the island nation for digital tourism. The programme will be rolled out by the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB).

In a bid to kick off the initiative, the government announced its decision to introduce a long-term visa category for digital tourists.

The Cabinet acknowledged that by focusing on this budding segment and providing the digital tourists with the necessary facilities to encourage longer stay, would help Sri Lanka fetch the much required foreign exchange.