SLTPB Archives - Ceylon Independent

16Aug

By Faraz ShauketalyNo Comments

Business, Main Story

Digital blitz to boost SL tourism

By Chathuri Dissanayake The long-awaited digital campaign for tourism got Cabinet nod this week with approval to awarding contracts for promotional work in three difference countries. The Government this week approved awarding the contract for the digital promotional campaign to position Sri Lanka as a preferred destination in United Kingdom, Germany and France. Tourism Minister John Amaratunga, presenting a paper to Cabinet, said that as per Cabinet-appointed procurement committee recommen-dation,approval has been obtained to award the contract to run the promotional campaign in the United Kingdom to Digital Spring Ltd. for a cost of $ 703,480. The contract to run the promotional program in Germany has been awarded to Media Consulta International Holdings AG for a total cost of $...

14Aug

By Faraz ShauketalyNo Comments

Business, Main Story

Tourism bets big with Alibaba

By Charumini de Silva A tie-up with Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba to attract 1,000 travellers weekly, launching the long delayed $ 3.5 million digital campaign, extending the CNN promotion and launching special offers to fatten the off-peak season are part of a bouquet of new policies planned for the industry, a top official said yesterday. Tourism Development Minister John Amaratunga yesterday said the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) will ink an agreement with Alibaba’s travel arm, Fliggy, to bring down 1,000 travellers weekly to Sri Lanka. “In terms of the Alibaba proposal, we have submitted a Board paper, and if it has been approved at the meeting held on Monday (13), we can sign the memorandum of understanding (MoU) next week,” the Minister emphasised. Supreme Gl...

New Chairman appointed to Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau

5Jun

By Faraz ShauketalyNo Comments

Business

New Chairman appointed to Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau

The Ministry of Tourism Development and Christian Religious Affairs announced the appointment of Mr. Dehan Seneviratne as Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) with effect from Monday, June 4. A veteran in the marketing field, Mr. Seneviratne takes over as Chairman of SLTPB at a crucial juncture with the long-awaited global promotion campaign about to get off the ground, the Ministry said in a press release. Mr. Seneviratne was officially welcomed by Minister of Tourism Development and Christian Religious Affairs, John Amaratunga at his office this morning, the statement said. With more than 40 years of experience in multinational companies covering many senior positions one of Mr. Seneviratne's key achievements has been securing a 92% market share for Panadol...

Sri Lanka trade mission visits UAE to promote domestic tourism

23Apr

By Faraz ShauketalyNo Comments

Business

Sri Lanka trade mission visits UAE to promote domestic tourism

Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau has successfully concluded a three-day promotional mission to the United Arab Emirates as part of its on-going efforts to develop new markets and increase the number of visitors and spend from the region to Sri Lanka. A 33-member delegation from Sri Lanka's tourism and hospitality industries led by Madubhani Perera, Director/Marketing, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau visited Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The delegation held the roadshow at Radisson Blu Sharjah, Le Royale Meridien Abu Dhabi and Crowne Plaza Sheikh Zayed Road Dubai on April 17, 18 and 19, 2018, holding one to one meetings and informational seminars with leading travel agency representatives and outbound operators in each city, Saudi Gazette reported. "The mission has been a reso...

Sri Lanka targets approximately 450,000, Indian arrivals for the year 2018

10Feb

By Faraz ShauketalyNo Comments

Business

Sri Lanka targets approximately 450,000, Indian arrivals for the year 2018

Sri Lanka Tourism continued its quest to target more Indian tourist arrivals this year by participating at the 25th South Asia Travel & Tourism Exchange (SATTE), South Asia's leading travel trade show held in New Delhi from 31st January to 02nd February 2018. Sri Lanka was one of the Partner Nations to the event, which is India's biggest and South Asia's largest Travel and Tourism Extravaganza. The Sri Lanka Pavilion at the Exhibition was inaugurated by High Commissioner of Sri Lanka in India Chitranganee Wagiswara together with the Managing Director of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB), Manager Sri Lankan Airlines in New Delhi and other officials and media. This year, SLTPB was joined by 52 leading travel agents and hoteliers of the country, showing their interes...

Industry up in arms over John’s move to oust Tourism Board Chief

11Jan

By Faraz ShauketalyNo Comments

Business, Main Story

Industry up in arms over John’s move to oust Tourism Board Chief

By Charumini de Silva The tourism industry is up in arms against Tourism Development Minister John Amaratunga’s decision to remove Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) Chairman Udaya Nanayakkara, saying it would cause further setbacks and was untimely ahead of the much-needed global advertising rollout. Though asked to resign by the Tourism Minister, SLTPB Chief Nanayakkara, an industry veteran, remained defiant. He claimed any removal, transfer or promotion of public servants during an election period was illegal. “The Minister has sent letters to the entire Board of Directors to resign from their respective positions, pointing out that he wants to ‘restructure’ the institution,” Nanayakkara told Daily FT. He said they had received the letters on 8 January, insistin...

SLAITO and THASL hail the upcoming promotion plan of Sri Lanka Tourism

9Jan

By Faraz ShauketalyNo Comments

Business

SLAITO and THASL hail the upcoming promotion plan of Sri Lanka Tourism

In a joint communique, The Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) and The Hotel Association of Sri Lanka (THASL) appreciated the efforts by Sri Lanka Tourism Promotions Bureau (SLTPB) and Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) to expedite the Digital advertising campaign planned for early 2018 and the Global advertising campaign scheduled for mid of this year. The promotional plans for Sri Lanka Tourism have been long overdue and the industry has felt the need to fast-track such plans to lend high visibility to the destination. Overall, arrivals to Sri Lanka have slowed, with only a 3.2% growth in arrivals until end-December 2017. Sri Lanka's tourism industry has felt the downturn during summer 2017 and Winter 17/18 due to increased room inventory and aggressi...

Critical advertising blitz to boost tourism kicks off in Feb.

2Jan

By Faraz ShauketalyNo Comments

Business, Main Story

Critical advertising blitz to boost tourism kicks off in Feb.

SLTPB Chairman Udaya Nanayakkara says $ 3.5 m digital promotion campaign to go live in Germany, the UK, France, India and China in February $ 40 m for three-year global tourism campaign to follow covering eight key markets New dedicated office to run global promotion campaigns, new CEO, staff with higher remunerations Industry pins lack of proper marketing to poor growth in tourist arrivals numbers By Charumini de Silva The long-delayed critical digital promotional campaign of Sri Lanka Tourism will take off next month followed by a global advertising drive in May, to boost sagging arrival numbers. SLTPB Chairman Udaya Nanayakkara told the Daily FT that they were in the process of kicking off the six-month digital promotional campaign covering five of Sri Lanka’s prime ...

21Nov

By Faraz ShauketalyNo Comments

Business

Sri Lanka roadshow takes Perth by storm

With a growing focus on the Australian market the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) has commenced a series of events that will span an entire week. Beginning in the Western Australia capital of Perth the first of three travel trade roadshows went off with a bang yesterday, Travel weekly reported. Over 100 members from the travel industry including representatives from Australian travel agents and wholesalers met with Sri Lankan hoteliers, tour operators and tourism officials for a series of B2B meetings. Addressing the delegation, SLTPB's Director of Marketing, Madubhani Perera said that Australia has delivered an eight percent increase arrivals to Sri Lanka for the year ending October 2017. The roadshows in Australia is just one of the strategies that SLTPB is leverag...

Budget proposes a large number of measures to enhance Sri Lanka’s tourism sector

17Nov

By Faraz ShauketalyNo Comments

Business

Budget proposes a large number of measures to enhance Sri Lanka’s tourism sector

A large number of proposals have been introduced in the 2018 budget to enhance the tourism sector of Sri Lanka. New measures have been introduced with the aim to facilitate the growing tourism industry which remains a vibrant sector. Sri Lanka's tourism arrivals are expected to increase by almost three fold to 4.5 million by 2020 as the country has much to offer given its natural beauty, heritage, cuisine, and culture. The budget is seeking Rs. 565 million for the proposals to develop the tourism sector. The increasing tourists warrant extra rooms apart from the hotel rooms that are already being constructed. In this context, mechanisms such as the Homestay program will be encouraged. A special credit facility will be introduced to Upgrade such facilities allocating Rs. 10 million...