The conclusion of the 2024 ITB Berlin Convention, renowned as the foremost gathering of global travel industry leaders, marked a pivotal moment for Sri Lanka Tourism. Across three days, top international thought leaders convened to explore the latest trends, innovations, and challenges within the travel industry. Notably, Sri Lanka unveiled its new destination positioning, ‘You’ll Come Back for More,’ alongside a fresh logo and a global tourism campaign, positioning the country as an irresistible destination for travelers.
Under the stewardship of Minister of Tourism Harin Fernando, this unveiling showcased Sri Lanka’s unparalleled diversity to a global audience. Minister Fernando emphasized the significance of the campaign, citing the fact that 33% of travelers to Sri Lanka are repeat visitors, with some returning as many as 100 to 150 times. This reaffirmed the special bond the island fosters with its visitors, extending beyond mere tourist attractions to encompass genuine connections with the people, places, and moments found in Sri Lanka.
The Minister outlined ambitious targets for Sri Lanka Tourism, aiming to attract 2.3 million tourists and generate over $4 billion in revenue in 2024, with a long-term goal of welcoming 5 million arrivals and generating $21.6 billion in revenue by 2030. To achieve this, Sri Lanka is implementing a comprehensive global marketing strategy and focusing on year-round destination appeal.
The successful representation of Sri Lanka Tourism at the ITB Berlin Convention, with 68 exhibitors, underscores the industry’s commitment to aggressively promote the country as a premier tourist destination, particularly given Germany’s historical significance as a key source market. SLTPB Chairman Chalaka Gajabahu emphasized the importance of this presence, leveraging the event’s international visibility to showcase Sri Lanka’s unique offerings.
Media attention at the convention was substantial, with approximately 3,000 journalists from 73 countries and 333 bloggers from 32 countries in attendance, potentially reaching over 5 billion people worldwide. Seizing this opportunity, Sri Lanka Tourism hosted a successful media conference, where Minister Harin Fernando shared his vision for the future, Ambassador Varuni Muthukumarana highlighted strengthened ties with Germany, and Chalaka Gajabahu outlined strategic plans for promoting Sri Lanka as a premier tourist destination.
The positive momentum continued into the early months of 2024, with unprecedented growth in tourist arrivals. February alone witnessed 218,350 arrivals, marking the third consecutive month with over 200,000 arrivals, the highest since January 2020 before the pandemic struck.
Source: DailyFT
