Sri Lanka initiates campaign to promote its positive image, tourism through roadshows

The consul general of Sri Lanka in Karachi in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau (SLCB) on Monday started a campaign to promote tourism in Sri Lanka by holding a roadshow at a local hotel in Karachi.

This was the first of three shows under the SLCB’s campaign. After Karachi, the bureau will hold similar events in Lahore on September 13 and Islamabad on September 15. Sri Lankan diplomats informed the audience that the aim of the campaign was to highlight different tourism sites of Sri Lanka and promote the country’s market.

Sri Lankan High Commissioner UL Niyas spoke to the event with Sri Lankan Consul General in Karachi Jagath Abeywarna and other officials. He said Sri Lanka was witnessing a considerable increase in international tourist arrivals. The series of roadshows would be promoting a myriad of tourism experiences while focusing on promoting a positive image of the country with respect to leisure, business and tourism, he said.

The event was told that the target audience at these roadshows would be tour operators, media, key influencers, corporations, trade associations and tourism industry stakeholders in Pakistan who have the ability to communicate the message that Sri Lanka is not only one of the most beautiful countries with an amazing range of destinations and products, but also a safe and secure destination for tourists.

The Sri Lankan diplomats explained that each roadshow would include B2B sessions facilitating numerous discussions followed by a networking event which will also help improve business partnerships.

During the roadshows, Sri Lankan delegations would meet high-profile business leaders, tourism stakeholders and corporate leaders and give interviews to leading Pakistani media houses.

SLCB Chairman Thisum Jayasuriya maintained that Sri Lanka was a promising destination for meetings, incentives conferences and exhibitions.. Sharing the tourism statistics of Sri Lanka, he said a total of 19,116 tourists visited the country in 2018, 14,655 in 2019, and 3,065 in 2020.

In 2021, the country attracted 7,520 tourists while 6,260 tourists visited Sri Lanka in 2022. Until July 2023, a total of 5,056 tourists had visited the country and by the end of the year, the number of tourists were expected to be more than 12,000.