The Government has once again changed its tourism tagline, this time going from ‘So Sri Lanka’ to ‘You Will Come Back For More’. This was revealed during the visit of one of the world’s top travel influencers, Nuseir Yassin, also known as ‘Nas Daily,’ to Sri Lanka. The tagline has mostly received green signals from the industry.
Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) Director Marketing Dushan Wickramasuriya told The Sunday Morning that the new tagline had been officially launched about two months ago, followed by a brand launch for all stakeholders in December.
Outlining the objective of the new tagline, he said: “30% of tourism arrivals are repeat visitors, so we wanted to convey the message that they should return for more. For those who have not visited the country, we want to communicate that after they visit once, they are likely to return for more experiences. This encapsulates the primary objective behind the tagline.”
SLTPB Chairman Chalaka Gajabahu was not available for comment on the new tourism tagline, despite several attempts to reach him.
Optimistic outlook
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) President Nishad Wijetunga said that the SLTPB and the association had conducted research to formulate the tagline. He emphasised on the industry’s urgent need for a campaign to convey that Sri Lanka was open for tourism and highlighted the ongoing ‘check-in’ campaign as a step in this direction, expressing optimism about its impact.
“The country desperately needed a marketing campaign and we are pleased that it has been launched. To recover, we require multiple messages to circulate. Crucial among them is the message that Sri Lanka has emerged from the dark era it faced last year. Presently, we have sufficient supplies of food, fuel, and medicine. The country is open and prepared to welcome visitors,” Wijetunga told The Sunday Morning.
“We need a tagline and branding that can remain consistent over time, unlike the frequent changes we’ve observed. This phenomenon is not evident in other destinations, as seen in examples like ‘Incredible India’ and ‘Malaysia, Truly Asia,’ which have remained unchanged for as long as one can recall. The current SLTPB Chairman has also supported this stance. Therefore, we hope to cease the practice of altering taglines with every change in leadership.”
The Hotels Association of Sri Lanka (THAS) President M. Shanthikumar, speaking to The Sunday Morning, said that the tagline was “very good” and especially suitable given the current situation, with things showing improvement.
‘Land Like No Other’
Meanwhile, Arinma Holdings Head of Marketing, Corporate Communications, and Sustainability Nuwan Gamage said that the new tagline appeared to convey a promising message about Sri Lanka as a dynamic and enticing tourist destination that encourages repeat visits. “However, despite the positive sentiment, there seems to be a lack of a clear execution plan for this message and its effectiveness is challenging to assess without public visibility,” he added.
He also stated that one concern raised was the frequency of changing taglines, with several revisions over the past two decades. Each change necessitates significant investment to establish and maintain top-of-mind awareness among consumers.
His suggestion is to revisit and revitalise the previous tagline, ‘Land Like No Other,’ which holds a strong historical connection, which could involve incorporating new elements and enhancements to breathe fresh life into the familiar and well-received slogan, potentially reducing the need for frequent changes. “However, I believe that they must have some strange strategy behind the new line,” he added.
“I am convinced that now is an opportune moment to redefine our country’s standing on the global stage. This goes beyond just promoting tourism; we should aim to position ourselves as a multifaceted nation – appealing not only as a travel destination but also as an attractive hub for investment and a desirable place to live, akin to the success achieved by Dubai.”
While recovery is integral to our journey, achieving synergy with institutions like the Export Development Board (EDB) and Board of Investment (BOI) is crucial not solely for the tourism sector but also to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
“At SLIM, we have launched the ‘Nation Branding’ initiative, where truisms play a pivotal role. This initiative represents a comprehensive, Government-led approach aimed at unveiling the true essence of the Sri Lankan brand on a broader scale,” he said.
“I continue to prefer the slogan ‘Land Like No Other’ over any other option presented,” Gamage asserted.
‘Support Sri Lanka now’
Speaking to The Sunday Morning, Clootrack – Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and Pakistan President Dr. Rohantha Athukorala said: “Taglines don’t drive brands or create demand in destination marketing. What Sri Lanka Tourism requires is a distinctive destination brand position in the global traveller’s mind. To achieve this, all communication mediums must be utilised for an awareness campaign. This includes the use of TV, magazines, endorsements, sponsorships, and social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Google advertising.”
“Sri Lanka is not the only girl on the beach anymore. Competition is entrenched. We must be seen as unique in competition to get picked up as the next travel destination by a traveller. Flight costs and accommodation prices are above competitor destinations. We have no option but to learn to operate in this situation.
“Normally when brand penetration is low, we drive trials and get consumers to generate the first brand experience as against competitor brands. Hence, a tagline must induce this behaviour, driving the first experience rather than talking about coming back for more. Be that as it may, now is not the time to argue and go back in time; let’s see how we can support Sri Lanka Tourism. We have a bigger agenda to ensure that the balance of trade becomes positive in 2024.”
Speaking on the potential impact of tourism on employment generation and poverty reduction in Sri Lanka, he said: “Every tourist who comes creates four jobs locally and we must push for three million quality tourists to come in 2024. Currently in Sri Lanka poverty is 51% in the estate sector, 36% in rural areas and 18% in urban Sri Lanka, contributing to seven million plus people in poverty. With the 18% VAT coming into play from 1 January 2024, Sri Lanka will be a nation with over half the population in poverty. This is the truth. Tourism is the quick win to avert this situation and we must support Sri Lanka now.”
Dr. Athukorala also highlighted the current debt stock in the tourism industry, which stands at over Rs. 700 billion. “Given the landmark decision by the Supreme Court last month on parate execution, we will see many banks taking over properties in the tourism value chain. This will be the biggest challenge for the industry and we have to come out with a strategy to avert this issue together with policymakers. The time has come for us to put Sri Lanka first as the country needs all the support in 2024. We must pull Sri Lanka out of the mess.”