Sri Lanka urgently needs publicity campaign, says tourism industry
Panellists: From left - Ms. Shiromal Cooray, Nalin Sanji, Chaturanga Perera (President-STBC) and Dileep Mudadeniya.
Sri Lanka’s tourism industry believes authorities need to work on a plan of action to initiate a promotional drive to boost arrivals to the country as the concern about terror attacks has changed in today’s context.
During a panel discussion on the “Challenges of the tourism industry in the aftermath of the Easter Sunday carnage” at the Sunday Times Business Club meeting at The Kingsbury Colombo hotel, the three panellists – Jetwing Travels Chairperson Shiromal Cooray, JKH Vice President and Head of Brand Marketing Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts Dileep Mudadeniya and Sri Lanka Viajes Edén Managing Director Nalin Sanji said promotions were crucial and that security checks are considered as an aspect that creates a safe environment to the public.
The tourism industry was already faced with problems and challenges but the Easter Sunday bombings just aggravated the situation, Ms. Cooray pointed out.
In the aftermath of the attacks she noted there was no immediate response to salvage the situation and that Sri Lanka was even without a PR agency to initiate a publicity drive in its key markets in a bid to boost arrivals to the country.
Soon after the attacks tourists fled the country in the wake of a number of travel advisories also being posted by the key markets insisting that their citizens leave Sri Lanka and recommended travel only of a very essential nature while others insisted on a travel ban altogether.
Commenting on the fact that this is an industry that requires immediate response it was also one that can turnaround, she said.
Ms. Cooray pointed out that they didn’t have a PR agency in the country at the time of the attacks and at present they were still looking for one.
She also explained that some tourists had called them to say they would be cancelling their trip to Sri Lanka but out of human nature also queried on how they could assist. Others had insisted that it was not possible to visit the country as planned asserting that how could they holiday when the host nation was in mourning following the deaths and injured ones from the attacks.
The tourism industry had been increasingly creating employment for a number of persons as a result of which when the tourists left it impacted many in the country, unlike in the past during the war years, Jetwing Chairperson said.
Despite the absence of promotions, the travellers keep coming in because of the value proposition the destination holds, she said.
Expecting a 35-40 per cent reduction in arrivals for the year following the attacks, Mr. Mudadeniya explained the negative factors that laid the country bare to the international community.
The increased media exposure did not hold well for Sri Lanka, he said adding that most other countries like Bali and Egypt did not face similar travel bans like this country did.
He spoke of a Recovery Marketing Plan that would ensure the resilience of the industry to make a comeback something which Bali, Egypt and Kenya did within two years.
Mr. Mudadeniya also pointed out that the industry does not need to engage in a huge budget to carry out the promotions and said that as an example they did carry out a video compelling tourists to visit the destination to which they had received a wide segment.
Mr. Sanji, a SME entrepreneur in the industry pointed out that however, even though they may invite people to visit the country there was no guarantee that another attack would not happen.
On the contrary tourists would feel safe once they realise there are stringent security checks being carried out in the country, he said.
He also expressed concern over the fake news that is spreading in the country and the need for a good follow- up on the promotions carried out.
During the discussion a number of other opinions were brought to the fore by some of those present pertaining to the need to use the ongoing cricket world cup matches to promote the destination, and how local travellers were unfairly treated in the past compared to now when all hoteliers seem to be in a mad rush to fill the rooms on weekends.