Sri Lanka global tourism campaign is on track for launch by the end of 2026 or early 2027, with tourism authorities preparing interim promotional campaigns across key international markets from August to maintain momentum ahead of the peak winter travel season.
Sri Lanka global tourism campaign to begin with interim promotions from August
The Rs. 3.5 billion destination branding initiative is progressing according to plan, Tourism Deputy Minister Prof. Ruwan Ranasinghe said, noting that preparations have entered their final stages while market-specific campaigns are being rolled out to sustain Sri Lanka’s visibility among international travellers.
Ahead of the full-scale launch, the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) will begin targeted digital marketing and public relations campaigns in Germany, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand during August. The second phase will expand to India, China and Russia in September, followed by promotional activities in France, South Korea and the Netherlands.
Prof. Ranasinghe said the interim campaigns are intended to maintain Sri Lanka’s presence in key source markets while work continues on the country’s flagship global branding initiative.
“Our objective is to keep Sri Lanka visible in priority markets until the comprehensive global campaign is officially launched,” he explained.
Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau Chairman Buddhika Hewawasam described the initiative as a major step towards repositioning Sri Lanka as a competitive global tourism destination.
He said the campaign forms a central part of the country’s long-term tourism strategy, which targets five million international tourist arrivals and US$8 billion in tourism earnings by 2030.
According to Hewawasam, the strategy marks a shift away from isolated country-specific promotions towards a coordinated international marketing approach that focuses on high-value visitor markets before the important winter holiday season.
To facilitate the rollout, the SLTPB has either completed or is finalising procurement for several overseas marketing contracts.
SLTPB Managing Director Sanjaya Niroshan said procurement for the Australia and New Zealand campaigns has already been completed, with contracts expected to be awarded next week. Procurement processes for Germany and the UK are also nearing completion, allowing campaigns in those markets to commence in early August.
Meanwhile, bids have already been invited for promotional campaigns in France, South Korea and the Netherlands. The tenders are expected to close during the first week of August, after which evaluations will be carried out before contracts are awarded in September.
Niroshan also revealed that the World Bank is providing technical assistance for the implementation of the Sri Lanka global tourism campaign, acknowledging that the SLTPB has limited experience managing an international branding initiative of this scale.
He said specialist consultants are being recruited with World Bank support to provide expertise in legal services, digital marketing and other technical areas required to deliver the campaign in line with international best practices.
Responding to concerns raised by industry stakeholders regarding procurement timelines, Niroshan clarified that proposals to reduce bidding periods from the standard 42 days to 14 days apply only to local interim campaigns where immediate implementation is essential to capture upcoming travel booking periods.
He noted that although the SLTPB had sought Cabinet approval for the accelerated procurement process, the Procurement Committee advised the Bureau to continue following the standard 42-day procedure.
According to Niroshan, the expedited approach was intended solely for short-term local promotional activities, while the larger international destination branding campaign will continue under the normal procurement framework to ensure transparency and competitive international participation.
Tourism authorities believe this dual-track strategy will enable Sri Lanka to capitalise on immediate marketing opportunities while maintaining strong governance standards for its flagship destination branding initiative.
With international competition for tourist arrivals intensifying, the Sri Lanka global tourism campaign is expected to play a crucial role in strengthening the country’s global brand, increasing visitor arrivals and supporting long-term tourism earnings growth as Sri Lanka works towards its ambitious 2030 tourism targets.