The Sri Lankan Tourism team in Germany​

The focused one-to-one session 

The launch of the Sri Lanka Tourism roadshow in Germany

Under the new Minister of Tourism John Amaratunga, Sri Lanka Tourism launched a unique private – public partnership driven by marketing activity in Germany.  The multicity roadshow was launched in Munich, Stuttgart, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Berlin, said Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau Chairman Dr. Rohantha Athukorala.

He said 19 top Sri Lankan Destination Marketing Companies (DMCs) met 127 key German DMCs and journalists for future business with Sri Lanka. This will then be followed up with a 4-month long advertising blitz of the Deutsche Bahn which cuts across the key markets in Germany to make Sri Lanka a top-of-the-mind destination among German travellers, said Athukorala.

“To support this activity an online global Youtube advertising competition entitled ‘My dream vacation on Sri Lanka’ is being launched in partnership with Google so that the different experiences of a traveller in Sri Lanka can be showcased to the world. If we can kick in the global branding and communication campaign by December this year I am confident that in 2016 we can attract a $ 250-dollar tourist rather than the current $ 160-dollar visitor,” he said.

“Around two-thirds of Germans have the financial means to travel with more than 80 million German travellers taking vacations at least once last year. Sri Lanka has a market share of less that 1% in Germany, which presents an opportunity which Sri Lanka must target,” Athukorala asserted.  “Given the ageing society, the long-haul market accounts for more than 60%, which is why engagement with DMCs is important.  Sri Lanka is currently registering a visitor growth of 13.5% at 65,556 guests as at end July 2015,” a Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau communiqué noted.