13 March 2024 12:02 am
Harin Fernando, Minister of Tourism (centre), Varuni Muthukumarana, Ambassador of Sri Lanka, Berlin (3rd from left), Chalaka Gajabahu, Chairman, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) (3rd from right) and other dignitaries at the Sri Lanka Tourism media conference at ITB Berlin 2024
As Sri Lanka is looking towards the tourism sector to help improve the current economic condition, Tourism Minister Harin Fernando said active efforts are being rolled out in ensuring the quality of experience offered is improved.
Noting that it is only the number of travellers that the country is aiming to increase, Fernando said, “We will also ensure the quality of the experiences each traveller has with us is also rich.”
Fernando asserted that the island nation is not just a bucket list country as there is a deep bond Sri Lanka creates with its visitors, and as a result they keep coming back for the people, the places, and moments.
“We want to share this unique story of our Island with the world. Under the new destination positioning, we have a 360-degree approach to tell our story,” said Fernando sharing his views while addressing an audience at the ITB Berlin 2024 which came to a close recently.
Sri Lanka Tourism aims to attract 2.3 million tourists in 2024 and earn over US$ 4 billion, but the Minister said the long-term target is even more ambitious, with plans to welcome 5 million arrivals and generate US$ 21.6 billion in revenue by 2030.
“The country is taking a holistic approach to its Global Marketing and Promotion campaigns, in addition to product development. This strategy aims to position the island as a destination that travellers could visit all year round,” he said.