Global promo to kick off in London this November

Sri Lanka is expected to launch its much awaited global tourism promotion campaign in November this year at the World Travel Mart in London.

This annual travel mart attended by international travel agents and destination promotion companies, including state tourism organisations is tipped to create the platform for the launch of the global promotion campaign, Tourism Development Minister John Amaratunga told the Business Times on Thursday.

He confirmed that this launch would take place at the WTM and has been in the planning stage since the last three months.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is said to have appointed a special committee com- prising Dilmah Founder Merrill Fernando, advertising veteran Ranil De Silva and Tourism Development Ministry Secretary Esala Weerakoon to initiate the campaign.

Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau ( SLTPB) will be calling for international bids according to the minister who also said that West Asia and European markets would be targeted in this global campaign.

Meanwhile, the digital marketing campaign is yet to obtain cabinet approval for the European markets, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau Managing Director Sutheash Balasubramaniam said.

Objections raised by bidders from the Indian and Chinese markets are being looked into at present and authorities are expecting to hear from the two countries.