Ceylon vs Sri Lanka
Branding the island nation as a destination has come up for discussion with its identity shifting depending on what is on sale right now.
Veteran hotelier Jetwing Symphony Chairman Hiran Cooray raised the concern over the lack of proper branding of the destination and the confusion it has created.
“We need to do marketing and promotions overseas in such a way that Sri Lanka gets back to the way we were – we need to promote the good of Sri Lanka,” he said insisting that “We have a problem with our country branding.”
Mr. Cooray explained the confusion with Ceylon and Sri Lanka as the country markets itself under different names for different products. Ceylon Cinnamon, Ceylon Tea but then there is, at the same time, also Sri Lanka Cricket and Sri Lanka Tourism!
“We are still going Ceylon and Sri Lanka and we need to sort that out,” he said, while also pointing out that it is important to position the destination and market the best product through targeted marketing.