Sri Lanka Tourism, Pimp my Tuk Tuk launch global online video competition

Credit Suisse – Singapore Managing Director Alex Longman, Goldman Sachs – Singapore Managing Director Paul Davies, Meitan Tradition – Singapore Manager USD Interest Rate Swaps Andrew Barrett, Channel News Asia Singapore veteran international journalist Teymoor Nabili, Credit Suisse Managing Director Dereke Seeto, DHL Express Head of Financial Industry Segment Angelo Perera, Singapore-Sri Lanka Business Association (SLBA) in Singapore President, and HSBC Private Bank South-East Asia Co-Head Rob Ioannou

Sri Lanka Tourism sponsoring the unique Pimp my Tuk Tuk 2015 event in Sri Lanka, attracted 43 top financial professionals from Singapore.

Participants included Alex Longman, Managing Director of Credit Suisse – Singapore; Paul Davies, Managing Director of Goldman Sachs – Singapore; Andrew Barrett, Manager USD Interest Rate Swaps at Meitan Tradition – Singapore; Teymoor Nabili, veteran international journalist, Channel News Asia in Singapore; Dereke Seeto, Managing Director of Credit Suisse; Angelo Perera, Head of Financial Industry Segment for DHL Express, President of the Singapore-Sri Lanka Business Association (SLBA) in Singapore; and Rob Ioannou, Co-Head of HSBC Private Bank South-East Asia.

The 10-day challenge tour of the country was held in partnership with the Foundation of Goodness founded by top philanthropist Kushil Gunesekera who is also the Manager for cricketing great Muttiah Muralitharan. The participants agreed to upload their experience in Sri Lanka under the theme ‘my dream vacation,’ launching the 365 day global online video competition with Google, said Sri Lanka Tourism Promotions Bureau Chairman Dr. Rohantha Athukorala.

The adventure market is estimated to be valued at $236 million globally, which can ideally pursued by Sri Lanka but Athukorala believes that the real benefit to the country will be of the 43 finance professionals taking part in the Sri Lanka Tourism online video competition. The video will be uploaded to social media platform and help covert online searches on Sri Lanka effectively into visits into the country by tourists.

The Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau in a communique stated that the latest traveller psychology gives insight that as high as 77% use digital media in their decision making process with the strongest influences being guest reviews, comments on websites, social media platforms like YouTube and online travel brochures.

It is only at the sixth place that traditional media like TV and magazines comes into play as an influencer which explains the importance of online presence in the game of destination marketing which the Pimp my Tuk Tuk challenge event can address. The team donated $ 120,000 to the Foundation of Goodness for empowerment of rural kids in Seenigama. Founder Gunesekera stated that Ian Botham earlier walked from south to north again for a similar project.

“Visitor arrivals surged in September with 35.9% growth with guest arrivals crossing 1.3 million travellers. Tourism receipts crossing $ 2 billion to date incidentally is almost the full year revenue from tea exports to Sri Lanka. This is the importance of the tourism industry to the country, which is targeting $3 billion for 2015,” said Dr. Athukorala at the launch.