Sri Lanka to kick off global promotion drive from end-July

• Authorities pivot from localised marketing to a synchronised international push targeting the winter travel season
• Tenders successfully closed for major PR and digital campaigns in Australia and key European markets
• Expedited 14-day tenders restricted to immediate short-term campaigns, preserving the standard 42-day procurement rule for broader campaigns

By Nishel Fernando

The Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau is gearing up to launch a comprehensive global promotion campaign starting from the end of July.

Speaking to Mirror Business, SLTDA and SLTPB Chairman Buddhika Hewawasam confirmed the impending rollout, which is strategically designed to propel the island nation toward its ambitious target of US$ 8 billion in tourism income by 2030. The upcoming campaigns represent a critical pivot from localised marketing to a synchronised international push, targeting high-yielding markets ahead of the crucial winter travel season.

To facilitate this global endeavour, the tourism authorities have successfully closed bids for multiple high-value international tenders across key source markets.

The Australian market, which has emerged as a critical high-yielding source, is backed by two major closed tenders. A robust public relations and digital campaign, spanning six months, has a budget of Rs. 100 million (approximately AUD 465,000) and officially closed for bids on May 19, 2026. Under this campaign, 80 percent of the digital allocation is strictly dedicated to media buying. 

Adding to this is a second, highly targeted tender that closed on June 4, 2026, which allocated Rs. 90 million (AUD 400,000) specifically to organize a series of B2B networking sessions. Scheduled for September 2026, these business events will take place in Sydney, Adelaide, and Perth. The initiative targets a minimum of 150 travel agents and tour operators across the three cities, alongside 21 senior journalists and 15 social media influencers, aiming to aggressively expand Sri Lanka’s footprint and build direct trade relationships in Oceania.

In Europe, a comprehensive PR and digital campaign for Germany successfully closed its bidding window on June 1, 2026. Supported by a budget of Rs. 100 million (Euro 260,000), this eight-month initiative focuses on repositioning the destination through targeted influencer engagements, trade promotions, and digital media buying. 

Similarly, a specialised three-month tram advertising campaign in Vienna, Austria, closed for bids earlier this year on February 11, 2026. It was designed to capture the attention of affluent Austrian winter travelers with high-impact visual branding across the city’s public transit network.

The SLTPB has also planned digital media campaigns in India, China and Russia, scheduled for a September rollout. These campaigns are strategically designed to bolster Sri Lanka’s presence in these vital source regions through targeted online engagement and media buying.

To unify these regional efforts and consolidate its global digital footprint, the SLTPB has also closed a two-year contract for an overarching social media agency. This tender, which concluded on May 21, 2026, is supported by an estimated Rs. 70 million budget and aims to grow the destination’s active digital audience by half a million new followers. 

The SLTPB has additionally earmarked a dedicated Rs. 50 million specifically for international content production, ensuring all master campaign visuals and country-specific adaptations meet minimum 2K resolution standards for global broadcast.

Addressing recent industry confusion regarding expedited procurement timelines, Chairman Hewawasam clarified the strategic rationale behind the bidding windows. He confirmed that the decision to utilise expedited 14-day tenders is strictly limited to the mini-campaign that demands immediate market activation to capitalize on fast-approaching booking windows. 

Conversely, for broader promotional campaigns, the standard 42-day procurement rule remains firmly in place. This dual-track approach is aimed at ensuring both agile responsiveness for immediate promotional needs and rigorous international competition for long-term strategic investments.