Blueprint prepared to revive stalled tourism
Sri Lanka Tourism has prepared a 5- year integrated plan to boost tourism and this plan has received cabinet approval. There wasn’t a comprehensive strategy by Sri Lanka earlier to promote tourism when the war ended after 30 years although tourists arrived in the country thereafter. “What we want to do now is to look at experience-based tourism such as Ayurveda, wellness, adventure, food and culture rather than looking at the country in the past to promote tourism. We are now moving away from that concept,” said the Chairperson of Sri Lanka Tourism Kimarli Fernando at a recent webinar in Colombo to identify the importance of visitor perception in Sri Lanka.
Emphasising on tourism promotion, she said people who do not belong to the category of millennials prefer adventure tourism that occurred prior to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in the country. “We are also looking at various places where security is concerned and for the first time the government has appointed a Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police to oversee security operations where tourism was concerned. We are also looking at the private sector to create tourism product and services. Other areas include promoting the film industry where documentaries are made for worldwide audiences. The good news is that we have got the Cabinet approval for a 5-year integrated plan to develop tourism in the country. But the drawback is the cumbersome tender procedures that stifles tourism promotion unlike construction of road networks,” she said. A mobile app too has been created by Sri Lanka Tourism for the first time as a positive spin to network activity. The app has been linked to the Immigration Department to monitor tourist arrivals.
Damian Cook, a Global Tourism Marketing Consultant and CEO of E-Tourism Frontiers, said the emotional part of the human brain prompts people to visit destinations than other issues concerned that matters such as wobbly road networks etc. Sri Lanka has a huge opportunity for adventure tourism, he said. Referring to the COVID-19 pandemic, he said although things look dismal there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
John Baily, a Global Tourism Communication Consultant, said sea and sand is important but other destinations too offer the same product as well. Sri Lanka has to offer products that other destinations don’t have to offer to tourists. He said wellness products and wildlife in Sri Lanka offers a unique opportunity to boost tourism.
Meanwhile Dr. Lalith Chandralal, a lecturer from the University of Sri Jayawardenapura, said a research was done by them on tourists vacationing in Sri Lanka in the period 2017-2019 on their impressions on Sri Lanka. Many tourists had expressed their emotion and joy while holidaying in the country, he said.