Tourism campaign set for 2025, but industry predicts year long lag

The government expects to launch its long-delayed global tourism promotion campaign, complete with a new brand identity, early next year, according to a top Tourism Ministry official. 

However, key industry stakeholders fear that, given past experiences and bureaucratic hurdles, the launch could take at least another year.

The much-anticipated integrated marketing campaign is seen as critical for repositioning Sri Lanka as a premier travel destination and accelerating the recovery of its vital tourism sector.

A Tourism Ministry official, speaking to Mirror Business on the condition of anonymity, confirmed that the groundwork is being laid to get the campaign off the ground. 

“All previous agreements have expired, and we are finalising the tender, which is now pending cabinet approval. We expect to be able to float the tenders within the next one to two months,” the official stated.

The goal is to roll out the comprehensive campaign in early 2025. The official acknowledged significant challenges, particularly with “existing procurement guidelines,” which have historically slowed down such initiatives. 

“We are trying to develop new procurement guidelines to accelerate the process,” the official added.

Addressing past criticisms, the official noted that a major issue has been “inconsistency and a lack of clarity in communication” due to frequent changes in branding. To avoid repeating these mistakes, the new brand identity will be unveiled simultaneously with the marketing campaign.

“It won’t be effective to unveil the new branding without the campaign. We need some time to finalise the tourism offering and communication strategy,” the official explained.

Despite the ministry’s optimistic timeline, seasoned industry figures remain cautious. One prominent industry leader, also speaking anonymously, expressed doubt that the campaign could be launched so soon. “What they are saying is it will take a minimum of one year,” the source revealed, reflecting discussions from a recently formed tourism task force.

While the official praised the task force’s initial meeting for making headway on operational matters such as resolving issues with the Wildlife and Railway departments. They noted that marketing was not a primary focus of the first discussion. 

“I asked them to take marketing as a main subject at the next meeting,” the industry figure said.

The official urged authorities to implement smaller, targeted promotional activities in the interim, rather than waiting for the large-scale global campaign. 

“We can do certain activities in certain markets. For example, a digital campaign or cinema advertising in India. We don’t have to call it a global campaign, but we have requested them to do at least something.”

The planned global promotion campaign has been in discussion for several years, facing numerous setbacks due to administrative delays, procurement issues, and economic and political instability. 

Past efforts have often been fragmented, leading to a diluted brand message on the international stage. (NF)