Tourism Vision 2025 to be out in April

Thursday, 30 March 2017 00:37 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Rs. 100 m first-ever digital campaign ready for launch in July focusing on Western Europe
Awaiting TRO to be sorted to call on bids for digital campaign
Ministry Secy. insists on digital marketing as a key promotional tool to attract modern-day tourists

By Charumini de Silva

The Tourism Development Ministry has submitted the much-awaited Tourism Vision 2017-2025 to the Cabinet Committee on Economic Management (CCEM), setting out the long-term objectives of the industry towards making it the top foreign exchange earner in the country, a top official confirmed.

“Right now we are looking forward to making tourism industry the number one foreign exchange earner for the country. In that context, we have submitted the long-term Tourism Vision to the CCEM along with a three-year Strategic Plan (2017-2020) to realise the objectives set out the 2017-2025 vision,” Tourism Development, Land and Christian Affairs Ministry Secretary Janaka Sugathadasa told the Daily FT.

He said that they hoped to have Tourism Vision 2017-2025 ratified by the Cabinet before the end of next month.

In addition, Sugathadasa said that the first-ever digital marketing campaign of Sri Lanka Tourism, valued at Rs.100 million, would also be launched in July.

“Initially we are thinking of launching the digital marketing campaign targeting our key market in Western Europe which includes Germany, France and the UK,” he noted.

Sugathadasa acknowledged that once the terms of reference (TRO) were outlined, they would call on bids from interested parties to embark on the digital marketing campaign.

Considering the current trends in the world, he insisted that digital marketing was becoming an important promotional tool to attract modern-day tourists who were ICT driven.

“They may be millennials, young professionals, knowledge workers who are fundamentally different in perspective, planning and strategising their visits and holidays, but they are an important segment we need to focus on attracting,” he stressed.