• Minister agrees to run TV promotions on CCTV, NDTV, Al-Jazeera, represented in key markets 
• While no structured  assessment done yet on loss of bookings, industry says it could run into millions of dollars
• Calls for global advertising campaign to be expedited
• No new Chairman for SLTPB; Minister, Min. Secy. and MD ‘holding  the fort’

By Charumini de Silva

The Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) this week announced that it was gearing up for a $ 650,000 CNN advertising campaign to woo travellers from all over the world in a bid to revive the country’s tarnished image as well as to try its level best to reach the 2.5 million tourist arrival target Sri Lanka has been missing out on for the past two years.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) President Harith Perera said if the procurement guidelines were met and deliverables were established, they were in full support of the CNN initiative.

Ukwatte also said that the industry stakeholders categorically requested Tourism Development Minister John Amaratunga to also have advertising campaigns on international television channels such as CCTV, NDTV and Al-Jazeera, which are telecasted in key markets such as China, India and the Middle Eastern countries where the tourism traffic was most affected.

“The Minister has agreed to our request. We hope that the advertising campaigns in other channels will also be in a position to kick-off next month as well,” he added.

Source : http://www.ft.lk/front-page/Tourism-stakeholders-back-Govt–ad-campaign-to-counter-Kandy-impact/44-651966