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Thursday, 9 April 2015 11:33 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) has embarked on another promotional campaign targeting 60,000 US visitors by the end of this year, a senior official said.
Disney movie ‘Monkey Kingdom’, a feature-length wildlife documentary filmed entirely in the ancient capital city of Polonnaruwa, will debut in US cinemas on 17 April and will be screened at 12,000 cinemas across the US, Europe and Asia.
SLTPB Chairman Rohantha Athukorala said that with the US being Sri Lanka’s seventh key market, he expected a boost in their tourist arrivals by 15% by the end of this year. Therefore the movie provided a strong opportunity for Sri Lanka in terms of brand-building.
“Initially we targeted 45,000 people from the US, an increase of 15% by the end of this year. But if we can get a boost and move this to about 60,000 because of this film it will greatly benefit the building of brand Sri Lanka, raising its total value to $ 80 billion,” he asserted.
He said that the SLTPB would conduct digital promotional campaigns on a monthly basis, where they would offer 50 tickets to children to visit Sri Lanka and see the trails in Polonnaruwa. In addition, the bureau would also invite 10 key journalists from the US who will go to Polonnaruwa to see different sites and provide publicity in various types of media in the United States.
Elaborating on this promotional strategy, Athukorala said: “Parents will not send their children alone and we will at least get three people coming in through this campaign. It is not something that we launch today and forget the next day. It has to be developed over time. There is some degree of product development required to show the trails in Polonnaruwa and we will have to work with different Government organisations. We will have to continuously work with Disney, the Ministry of Education in the US and many other institutions to make this come alive.”
Highlighting the investment involved, he said that the overall budget allocated to the US market is about $ 30 million to $ 40 million. However, focusing on a cost-effective approach, the SLTPB will initially invest around $ 12 million for the above campaign.
Athukorala pointed that they had conducted a focused marketing campaigns in 14 key markets including China, UK, India and the US.
“With the opening of Expo 2015 in Milan, we will focus on the Italian market as well. SLTPB will also participate in the upcoming Riyadh Travel Mart (RTM) and the Arabian Travel Mart (ATM), which will provide a significant brand presence to Sri Lanka,” he added.
While thanking the private sector for continuously contributing to sharpening HR skills, Athukorala said: “Overall it is great team performance from Sri Lanka in creating an impact in the global marketplace. We have given strength to the people and they have delivered worldwide shows which have been accepted and won awards.”
Sports and Tourism Minister Navin Dissanayke, launching the movie’s promotional website monekeykingdom.lk, said that Sri Lanka had been delivered a great opportunity through this movie.
“Sri Lanka had been a movie location for many movies in the past but we never took proper advantage of opportunities like these before. Once I got this information on the email I informed the Chairman and called for an action plan on this because this was an ideal opportunity to showcase Sri Lanka. The difference this time is how the SLTPB handled these promotional activities.
“We are very dedicated in promoting our country and once we have an opportunity we should seize it. Earlier it was not like that, it would have just gone by. We should utilise the funds to the best advantage of our country. This movie will have a significant impact when it is launched,” he noted.
Disney predicts that ‘Monkey Kingdom’ will be a hit with families everywhere and has released a 74-page educators’ guide with school projects, games and quizzes for children. The guide mentions Sri Lanka, a country to which only the most adventurous Americans venture, no less than 39 times.
Disney has paired with Conservation International, a global wildlife NGO, to make sure that a portion of the proceeds goes towards the conservation of primates, including those in Sri Lanka.
Pic by Upul Abayasekara
