“I Left My heart at Sigiriya”
View(s):Sri Lanka needs to adopt better marketing strategies to fully leverage its abundant attractive destinations. With over 2000 plus destinations, the country needs a well-directed and long-term sustainable tourism plan. Currently, a strategic window has opened, providing a temporary period of alignment between Sri Lanka’s competitive capabilities and the key requirements of the markets it aims to enter. This is a short time frame that Sri Lanka should exploit to enhance its market presence.
This article discusses how to promote Sigiriya using storytelling and selected promotional methods. Sigiriya, often considered the eighth wonder of the world, is an icon of Sri Lankan tourism. To attract more tourists, it is crucial to develop a novel and innovative website for Sigiriya, incorporating a catchy theme like “I left my heart at Sigiriya.” This theme should be integrated into all promotional methods, especially on social media. Additionally, the story of King Kashyapa, who reigned from 473–495 AD and is credited with constructing the Sigiriya citadel with all creativity and imagination , can be used in storytelling to captivate potential visitors .Storytelling is a powerful tool for promoting tourism. It builds emotional connections with potential tourists, helps create and sustain a positive image, enhances the destination’s reputation, and generates interest in its offerings. It also fosters a sense of connection, making people more likely to visit.
Proposed Promotional Strategies for Sigiriya:
Interactive Website:
Include buttons for different locations and photographs highlighting their attractiveness.
Allow visitors to share their thoughts and photos, with weekly competitions and rewards for the best photos.
Keep the website simple with beautiful photos, selected melodies, and brief statements.
Provide a 24/7 hotline and links for information on visa procedures, hotel bookings, and more.
Use web ads on popular websites and ensure the site is search engine optimised with relevant keywords.
Utilise social networks like Facebook and MySpace to increase awareness and interest.
Sales Promotion:
Implement tactics like Buy-One-Get-One-Free (BOGOF) offers, free gifts, and discounted prices for travel, food, or lodging.
Collaborate with hotels like Kandalama for joint promotions, offering branded merchandise like T-shirts and caps.
Use vouchers and coupons in newspapers and magazines to offer discounts on entrance fees.
Organise competitions and prize draws in various media to attract both local and foreign tourists.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM):
Maintain a database of visitors, including their names, addresses, countries, and birthdays.
Use this database to understand customer segments and tendencies and to create loyalty programmes.
Offer special discounts and vouchers to returning visitors and send birthday cards to foster loyalty.
Implement a loyalty points system where visitors earn points by engaging with the website, which can be redeemed during their visit.
Word of Mouth Communication (WOM):
Word-of-mouth (WOM) is often considered the most influential information source when consumers are making purchase decisions. This influence is particularly significant in the hospitality and tourism industry, where intangible products are challenging to evaluate before they are experienced(Litvin et al,2008) Encourage satisfied visitors to share their positive experiences informally with others. Utilise emails, blogs, virtual communities, newsgroups, chat rooms, and product review sites to promote Sigiriya and its offerings.
Social Media
Studies in tourism have shown that social media has significantly enhanced interactions between tourists and local communities. It has also provided an effective platform for advertising, increased the visibility of companies, and attracted more tourists. Leveraging storytelling within social media campaigns can amplify these benefits.
Tourism-related research suggests that storytelling is a powerful tool for promoting tourism on social media. By sharing compelling narratives, travel companies can connect with potential and existing customers, evoke emotions, and build trust. Stories humanize a brand, making it more relatable and memorable to travellers. This personal connection helps differentiate a travel company in a crowded market, making it stand out among competitors. Moreover, effective storytelling can drive bookings by creating a strong emotional appeal and a sense of urgency. This, in turn, increases revenue as travellers are more likely to choose a brand they feel connected to. Through well-crafted stories, travel companies can highlight unique experiences, showcase customer testimonials, and illustrate the beauty and cultural richness of destinations, thereby creating a more engaging and persuasive social media presence.
Conclusion
Sri Lanka needs to adopt better strategies and integrated marketing communications, with storytelling being a crucial element. To promote Sigiriya and the surrounding area as a tourist destination, it is essential to develop an improved website and integrated tools like CRM, sales promotion, social media and word-of-mouth communication. Adopting a theme like “I left my heart at Sigiriya” can significantly enhance the destination’s appeal. This strategy can also be applied to other destinations with different themes and tailored strategies.
Professor Nalin Abeysekera
HitAd.lk is the best and biggest mobile phone market in Sri Lanka, and we guarantee you will find what you need here from our extensive listing of mobile phones for sale in Sri Lanka. Whether it’s a budget-priced smartphone for communication, or higher end features with advanced connectivity, there are many different options from which to choose from on our site!