FM official tipped to head promotions in travel industry?
View(s):The government is likely to consider a diplomat with sound knowledge of state bureaucracy to head the promotions arm of the state run tourism body.
It is learnt that the criteria for the selection process is to find someone with the ability to engage in the proper procurement processes of the government and in this respect a former diplomat now back in the island from India is being mooted for the job.
However, Tourism Minister John Amaratunga told the Business Times that they were yet to find a suitable candidate and noted that this particular lady official from the Foreign Ministry had expressed interest in taking up the job.
The industry too has indicated to the minister at a meeting on Tuesday their eagerness to appoint a new Chairman at the helm of the promotions operations and had noted that they required a “dynamic” person to take up the posting. Since the removal of the former Chairman Udaya Nanayakkara, Tourism Ministry Secretary Esala Weerakoon has been in the job as acting Chairman. At the same Tuesday meeting, expediting the promotions campaigns was discussed and it was pointed out that there should be clear timelines for the global promotion campaign.
The minister noted that they had received a lot of interest from overseas agencies to carry out the promotions campaign under the digital marketing programme that is scheduled to kick off by the end of April.
He noted that while they would have to work within the stipulated costs as allocated by the Treasury however, they would have to negotiate with the bidders on this aspect as well.
Meanwhile, the CNN advertising campaign is set to kick off in April, Minister Amaratunga said adding that following the digital campaign getting underway the global promotion campaign would also fall in line accordingly. (SD)