As Sri Lanka experiences a surge in tourist arrivals compared to last year, industry leaders are urging the government to urgently implement global promotional campaigns to maintain this momentum to meet sector targets.
Without a strategic marketing push, the sector will experience improved financial performance, but sustained growth and attracting high-spending tourists will remain a challenge, experts say.
With a target of 3 million tourists by 2025 and an annual revenue growth of 52.38 percent compared to 2024, the government must focus not only on numbers but also on ensuring long-term sectoral growth and value-based tourism, they stressed.
Speaking to Mirror Business, Jetwin Hotels Chairman Hiran Cooray highlighted the need for a joint promotion and positioning campaign to attract what he termed “discerning tourists”, stressing that the current period is the right time for the industry to launch such an initiative.
“To reach the government’s target of generating US$8 billion in tourism revenue by 2028, we need to act now. These campaigns should have already started, but it is never too late,” Cooray stressed.
However, he expressed happiness over the government’s focus on tourism, especially infrastructure development and digitalization.
“The ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ campaign launched by the President is an encouraging program. If this country is clean, environmentally, socially, ethically, I believe we can see prosperity in the next 10 years at least,” Cooray said.
Meanwhile, the President of the Hotels and Resorts Association of Sri Lanka (THASL), M. Shanthikumar, shared that spending levels among tourists have remained unchanged despite the increase in arrivals.
The stagnant quality of tourist attractions has led to this situation, noting that the increase in arrivals has not led to an increase in high-spending tourists.
“The trade has been informed that a digital marketing campaign will be launched by March, followed by a public relations campaign in April,”
“If they do so, bookings will increase significantly. However, if they do not, the numbers may remain the same,” Shanthikumar warned.
He stressed that the authorities should accelerate long-delayed promotional efforts, as delaying them will hamper the ability to reach the 3 million tourist target set for the year.
Sri Lanka Tourism Operators Association (SLAITO) President Nalin Jayasundara reiterated the urgent need to implement promotional campaigns, noting that private sector players are actively playing their role in promoting the country through their networks.
He urged tourism bodies such as the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) to accelerate their efforts and drive “consumer-centric marketing strategies” to position Sri Lanka as a preferred tourist destination on the global stage.
He dismissed concerns about funding, saying that money is readily available and that advertising campaigns can be launched immediately without any financial constraints.
“Now, it is the responsibility of the tourism authorities to take that message to consumers. If it is delayed any further, we risk losing out to competing destinations,” Jayasundara said.
