SL tourism requires strong marketing with cutting edge creative

Well known business professional Dr. Rohantha Athukorala addressing the World Wetland Celebrations 2018 on the topic ‘Brand Colombo, a sustainable tourism plan’ said that for the sustainability of a city brand first, the overall livability indicator must be achieved. 

On this front the latest research out of the global research agency AC Nielsen reveals that for the 4th quarter in a row the overall consumption of Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) has declined by 3.8% which means people are finding it hard to live and hence cutting back on their consumption. This is a very serious issue that will surely have an impact on the voter behaviour, predicted Dr. Athukorala.

The speaker who has been the Chairman of Sri Lanka Export Development Board and Sri Lanka Tourism went on to state that on both fronts the rising costs on food, personal goods and household items is creating serious pressure especially on the tourism sector with profitability challenged even in the city hotels. This will also have serious implications on the overall city branding on sustainability given that most of the top hotel brands are entering the city. We have to launch a strong destination marketing campaign with a cutting edge creative rather than just venturing out on media advertising campaigns like CNN, voiced Athukorala.

Marketing cannot do magic. We must do the basics in marketing properly if we are to “Brand Colombo, and for sustainable tourism plan” which has not happened for the last three years, voiced Athukorala. The basics of marketing are to identify the target markets and then develop a marketing program that includes the marketing mix. We are not doing the basics from a policy end in tourism and hence the private sector is challenged for financial sustainability. Let’s not forget that without financial sustainability the discussion on sustainability cannot be taken forward, he said.