Sri Lanka Tourism launches strong marketing campaign in India

• Shines by winning 2 tourism awards at IITM Bangalore
• Half year at 145,453 arrivals from India at 27.3% growth

‘India International Travel Mart’ (IITM), India’s premier travel and tourism exhibition brand established in 1998 which is held across country’s major markets in India, staged the IITM Bangalore 2015 edition at which Sri Lanka Tourism was awarded two awards – MICE Operator of the Year and the Best Country Profiling Presentation which held good stead for the Rs. 250 million marketing launched in the number one source market.

As at half-year 2015, India is foregoing ahead with a 145,453 arrivals at a growth of 27.3% which is a strong performance given the entrenched competition in the market place.

“We must now raise the bar to attract a higher-spending Indian traveller,” said Sri Lanka Tourism Promotions Bureau Chairman Rohantha Athukorala. “We are using a combination of below-the-line marketing push such as road shows across key markets like Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai and now Calcutta given the connectivity of airline carriers and then teaming with the private sector to profile Sri Lanka tourism in the key travel and tourism fairs so that we link with the tourism trade of India. There after the visiting journalists program and trade FAMs drive consumer pull.”

The Bangalore IITM commenced with a road show branded ‘Sri Lanka – One Island, Thousand Treasures’ with 26 private sector companies and then followed with a country profiling and presentation to the key personalities in the trade followed by the IITM Fair participation by the Sri Lanka tourism delegation that was headed by the Market Head for India at Sri Lanka Tourism Indrajith De Silva.