Sri Lanka Tourism Fights Back After Civil War, a Tsunami and Terrorism
Tourism players in Sri Lanka often feel that the country — despite boasting a stunning diversity in landscapes and experiences within its small land mass — is still falling short of attaining its full potential.
Decades-long civil war, tsunami, and terrorist attacks notwithstanding, the absence of adequate government funding and a strategy for tourism branding was a persistent hurdle that didn’t go away until recently.
With a new tourism-friendly government in place, a palpable sense of optimism has emerged among Sri Lanka’s private sector players. The industry in collaboration with an agile national tourism organization is launching a cohesive, targeted marketing strategy. It’s a positive first step toward success, as this week’s featured story takes a closer look at.
Elsewhere in Asia, strong public-private collaboration reflected in Singapore’s swift and transparent approach to coronavirus — including the formation of a tourism recovery task force comprising top industry minds from both the public and private sectors — has been lauded as a manifestation of the country’s branding.
A strong sense of “We’re in this together” between all industry players will help Asia tourism navigate through complex times like this.
