Saturday, 31 August 2013 00:03
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By Cheranka Mendis in Beijing
In a bid to capture the large outbound tourist market in China, which was estimated at 63 million tourists last year, the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau along with the Sri Lankan Embassy in Beijing on Thursday launched the ‘Sri Lanka shines in Beijing’ campaign, attracting over 500 guests on the first day of the promotion itself.
The outbound market is expected grow to reach 90 million by end-2013. Having identified China as a strategic market according to current economic trends, backed by UNWTO’s projection of the country single-handedly contributing 100 million travellers by 2020, the campaign launched in Beijing kicked off with a Sri Lankan night, attended by key political, business, trade and travel representatives, and the launch of the first-ever official tourism website in Mandarin on Thursday.
This was followed by a series of B2B meetings for the travel and trade sectors last morning, and a mall activation program designed to educate and create awareness among the general public on Sri Lanka and its various offerings, in the evening.
Held at The Place on Guanghuala Road in the Chaayang district, the mall campaign was a colourful affair showcasing the best in the country with dancers spinning their way through the crowd while the heavy beats of the Sri Lankan drummers reverberated through the area. Close to 25 exporters showcased their products at the mall which included tea and food stalls along with gem and handicrafts, and spa facilities.
Various events including raffle draws and competitions were held to lure the crowd. Using the roof that secured the area as a canvas, the organisers showcased beautiful digitalised views of the country in varied colours which was one of the key crowd-pullers for the promotion.
The three-day mall campaign is expected to attract some 20, 000 people per day. 200 buses with stickers on Sri Lanka and its treasures were also launched at the event. The buses will run for six months under eight themes covering Beijing, Shanghai, Gunzhou and Chendu.
China, which is now considered the number one international source market, has contributed to the local tourism industry with increasing numbers, with 20,208 Chinese coming to Sri Lanka within the first seven months of the year, a 74.4% increase from 2012.
Sri Lanka Tourism Chairman Bashwara Gunarathne told the Daily FT that the industry is expecting this number to grow to 60,000 by the end of the year.
“The campaign so far is a resounding success,” he said at the conclusion of the B2B meetings last morning. “I have spoken to the industry members who showcased their products, not only in the travel trade but also in commercial areas such as tea, and their response has been great so far. They are happy with the turnout and the interest shown by Chinese nationals coming to do business.”
He noted that China is a lucrative market for Sri Lanka as it has helped rebuild the landscape of the country’s economy by funding many infrastructure projects. “It is now time to strengthen this on the tourism front as well.”
Sri Lankan Ambassador in China Ranjith Uyangoda noted that following President Rajapaksa’s visit to China early this May, a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the countries has been prepared which would cover and boost areas of trade relations, tourism, investment and a variety of other sectors. “China continues to be the single largest investor in Sri Lanka since the end of war. Agreements such as this would help strengthen ties and contribute positively towards building our economy, which is currently in an aggressive development phase.”
