Celebrating World Tourism Day in Jaffna with a commitment to digital future

With its fascinating mixture of colonial and vibrant Tamil culture, Jaffna is growing in importance as a cultural, archaeological and retail tourist destination – Pic by Aysha Maryam Cassim

By Aysha Maryam Cassim

The World Tourism Day in Sri Lanka was ceremonially inaugurated in the Northern Province on 26 September under the patronage of top Government officials and several other distinguished guests. 

Celebrated every year on 27 September, World Tourism Day is the largest international event in tourism, marked all over the world. 

This year, the national celebrations of World Tourism Day in Sri Lanka were held in Jaffna to coincide with the theme – Tourism and Digital Transformation. A three-day program was organised by The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) together with Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB), Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management (SLITHM), Sri Lanka Convention Bureau, Tourism Bureau Northern Province and University of Jaffna.

Jaffna has played host to an increasing number of influential events in recent years. With its fascinating mixture of colonial and vibrant Tamil culture, the city is growing in importance as a cultural, archaeological and retail tourist destination. In order to foster awareness among the global and local community of the importance of Jaffna Peninsula’s tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic value, a series of events were held from 26-28 September, hosting experts in the fields of various aspects of tourism and digital media. 

The surge in technological growth has revolutionised the way we travel and experience tourism, and a digitally advanced tourism sector has become the way forward. The theme for this year places focus on exploring opportunities provided to tourism by digital platforms, such as social media. On 27 September, a panel discussion was held at the Kailasapathy Auditorium at the University of Jaffna, bringing experts and different tourism stakeholders together to recognise and embrace the importance of digital technologies in tourism. The speakers looked into the key theme of the year, creating an open forum to exchange views, perspectives and experiences on one of the most powerful globalising forces in tourism of our time: digital media content.

“Service providers and businesses operating in the tourism industry can effectively acquire loyal customers by creating authentic and creative digital content that always tell a great story. Not only will it clearly result in conversions, but it will also excite and keep the customers engaged with the business,” said Socialshott Founder Nipun Liyanapathirana. 

The Dialog Online Social Media team, which has always led the Sri Lankan social media space, hosted their 13th #ngage in Jaffna in celebration of World Tourism Day. #ngage is a bi-monthly gathering where like-minded individuals come to witness and discuss ideas about the ever-changing tech and social media landscape. 

Joining the evening, three speakers spoke about new-age vernacular content, story-telling in the digital media and photography. The session saw the attendance of around 100 local youth, reflecting Jaffna’s enthusiasm in the tech and social media space. 

A special delegation from Colombo joined the celebrations in Jaffna with the aim of bringing wider publicity to the Northern Province for Travel and Tourism and giving visibility to innovative ideas that are capable of changing the way we promote tourism. The team had the privilege of being a part of multiple cultural events, including a city tour, which covered some of the iconic tourist attractions in Jaffna, and a cultural show, which was held at the Municipal Council grounds. 

World Tourism Day is a unique opportunity to raise awareness on tourism’s actual and potential contribution to sustainable development. This year’s national celebrations in Jaffna saw the active engagement of Sri Lanka’s tourism fraternity. Important insights, ideas and questions were shared on developing mutual understanding among diverse cultures, supporting regional development with new industries and employment creation, and linking the tourism industry to a digital future.