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FT
Friday Nov 08, 2024
Wednesday, 13 December 2017 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Charumini de Silva
The world’s largest travel site TripAdvisor said the number of people searching for Sri Lankan content had increased 12% globally and called on all stakeholders to take pride in the country and share their experiences to inspire more visitors.
“People searching for Sri Lanka content has grown by 12% globally, which is amazing. Sri Lanka is really growing and we have seen this growth in the last few years,” TripAdvisor Destination Marketing Head - Asia Pacific Sarah Mathews told the Daily FT in an exclusive interview.
Stating that tourism had not been a big factor until quite recently, she said that for a lot of people in the world Sri Lanka was still an undiscovered gem which has so much to be shared with the world.
Mathews said keeping the stories authentic, building products that were true to the DNA of Sri Lankans, enhancing products that were sustainable for all stakeholders and engaging the local community were crucial for destination development.
“We need to make sure it works for everybody and they feel that sense of ownership. It is really an exciting time for Sri Lanka and I look forward to seeing more of what the country is going to do,” she added.
She emphasised that the trend of more passionate local travellers discovering their country and sharing those stories really helps to drive global interest.
With Sri Lanka still struggling to get its digital promotional campaign off the ground for years, she insisted that sharing stories and experiences at a higher level was critical for destination marketing.
“I think Sri Lankans should take pride in their own country and share their experiences. One of the key factors in destination marketing is to continue sharing those stories and experiences, but at a much higher level,” she added.
Reflecting on areas that needed improvement, Mathews asserted that Sri Lankan travel operators had to be active in cyberspace, particularly making sure that their products were bookable online and through mobile devices. Another aspect she highlighted was insights such as global trends and sharing those with the industry for a holistic approach to inspire travellers.
She said TripAdvisor could provide information and insights for the industry as well as for the Government to work collectively to develop the next phase of the travel industry. “We will work to support the needs of Sri Lanka and the Government as they see fit.”
Commending the smooth functioning of the Visa system, she however said that it was important to have some level of smart tourism practices with e-passport gates if the country was aiming to be a travel hub in the region. She also said airport capacity needed to be developed to make the country a hub.
