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Increase in tourism: Russia a big player, roadshows planned for China
View(s):Sri Lanka’s tourism industry has seen a significant rise in recent months with a 17 percent increase in arrivals–following a challenging period caused by various factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent economic crisis.
During the first three months 335,679 tourists visited Sri Lanka, marking an increase of almost 17 percent from the same period last year.
Russia played a key role in contributing to these numbers, with a total of 79,891 Russian tourists visiting Sri Lanka in the first three months of this year.
Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) Chairman Priantha Fernando attributed these achievements to the collective efforts of the entire industry.
He expressed confidence that the country would be able to achieve its goal of having two million tourists by the end of this year, despite facing challenges such as travel warnings issued by countries including Germany, Switzerland and Canada, due to inaccurate reporting. Mr. Fernando also highlighted the SLTDA’s efforts to remove these warnings and mitigate their negative impact on Sri Lanka’s progress.
Mr. Fernando said Sri Lanka’s approach to tourism development in the post-COVID-19 era was cautious, given the country’s limited budget compared to other tourist destinations, where every rupee spent on promotions had to be carefully monitored for yield.
The SLTDA launched a digital marketing campaign in partnership with the promotional bureau to increase awareness levels and participated in tourism fairs and exhibitions globally to get much-needed influence through them. Another strategy that took place was attracting bloggers and influencers from different markets to endorse Sri Lanka’s tourism industry positively and leave a good impression on visitors.
Mr. Fernando also noted there was much more to be anticipated in the coming months, such as the roadshows planned for China, where the market was just beginning to open up. The SLTDA expected these marketing campaigns to help pick up the Chinese market in the coming months.
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