Maximum benefit of travel fairs not reaped

By Cheranka Mendis

With tourism numbers increasing, Sri Lanka Tourism must now look at aggressive destination promotion, especially at travel and trade fairs abroad.

While the industry expressed delight over the tourism authority’s interest in supporting more participation in international travel fairs, the lack of representation of the authority itself is a major drawback to achieving the maximum benefit from trade fairs.

Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tourism Organisation (SLAITO) President Nilmin Nanayakkara yesterday told the Daily FT that with the private sector busy with pre-arranged appointments and business transactions, the opportunity to market and promote the destination itself goes almost neglected due to the absence of a representatives or officials from the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau.

“We are thankful to the authority for the number of travel and tourism trade fairs they have undertaken to support this year under our recommendation. However we have not been able to reap the maximum benefit from these fairs as there has been no representation from Sri Lanka Promotion Bureau,” Nanayakkara said.

“Hoteliers and tour operators are busy with appointments and no one is there to handle press briefings, do country presentations, attend country-to-country discussions or answer questions of journalists dropping in at the country stall to talk about the developments in the country, national issues, etc.”

Industry stakeholders have participated in approximately ten trade fairs for the year including the Internationale Tourismus Boerse (ITB) in Berlin, Moscow International Travel and Tourism Exhibition (MITT), Arabian Travel Market (ATM), Gulf Incentive, Business Travel and Meetings (GIBTM) and BIT Fair 2012 in Milan. Lined up are 20-15 more trade fairs for the year.

Agreeing with Nanayakkara, Tourist Hotels Association President Anura Lokuhetty stated that it will always be good for Sri Lanka Tourism to be present at the trade fairs and coordinate matters with journalists and others.

“We need someone conversant in business and the subject of tourism so that they could successfully market the destination.”

Back from taking part in ATM Dubai, Lokuhetty noted that the highest-ever representation was made with the large number of delegates from Sri Lanka. With over 50 companies taking part in the trade fair, the lack of representation from the authority put the country at a disadvantage, he said. Lokuhetty stated that a number of new hotel projects were introduced at the event.

Having hosted a media briefing along with the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka in Dubai Sarath Wijesinghe, Consul General in Dubai MM Abdul Raheem and SriLankan Airlines Chairman Nishantha Wickremasinghe at the ATM, Lokuhetty stated that journalists were keen to understand the future of tourism in the country.

Stating that the journalists were aware of the improving growth numbers and the plan of welcoming 2.5 million tourists by 2015, he stated that the authority now needed to make its presence at the fairs. “What is required now is an aggressive destination marketing and promotion.”

At the very least a good PR agency should be called in to handle and represent Sri Lanka and to promote the destination, he said.

Commenting on the progress of Government’s joint marketing program incorporating all key export industry stakeholders, Lokuhetty said, “I hope this takes off at least by the end of the year.”

Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau Managing Director Rumy Jauffer could not be contacted for a comment.