Sri Lanka Tourism will launch a mega international destination marketing campaign on December 27 2023 with a budget of Rs. 1.4 billion
Chairman Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, (SLTPB) Chalaka Gajabahu said this would be a full scale fast tracked international promotional campaign and is being done in this magnitude after several years.
“The promotion will focus on 14 countries including, China, India, Russia, UK, Germany which we have identified as key markets for Sri Lanka.”
He said that the SLTPB also has identified that the Sri Lanka Diaspora is very strong and has a global presence of 3 million people living abroad. “We will also target this segment and carry a special message ‘come visit your mother land during this crisis period and contribute towards the economy.”
Sri Lanka will also participate in mega road shows in several countries and international travel events like TOP RESA 2023 
(IFTM) in Paris in October and World Tourism Market in London in November.
Meanwhile Sri Lanka is expected to market the highest number of arrivals for 2023 this year in the month of August with two key events, the hosting of the annual Dalada Perahera in Kandy and also the Asia Cup beginning August 31 bettering on the July figure of 143, 039.
Sri Lanka excluding the month of May, (83,039) saw each month maintain over 100,000 arrivals. Up to August 20, Sri Lanka attracted 98,831 arrivals, overrunning the total number of visitor arrivals from 2022 August of 37,760.
Up till August 20, Sri Lanka has attracted 866,744 arrivals which also surpassed the total number of arrivals recorded in 2023 year which is 719,978.
The main source of arrivals for the fourth month in succession was India with 19,804 which accounts to 20%total arrivals.
The United Kingdom was second market for Sri Lanka with 12,188 (12%) while China jumped to the third spot with 6,964 (7%). Meanwhile from January to July 2023 Sri Lanka after a three year gap passed the USD 1,094 billion revenue target from tourism receipts. This figure in the corresponding period last year was USD 764 million.
(CG)
