Sri Lanka is to be promoted as a year-round travel destination, through B2C digital marketing campaigns, skills and training investments and foreign direct investments (FDIs), a statement by the President’s Media Division (PMD) said.

Referring to a discussion held at the Presidential Secretariat, the statement said: “The conversation focused on promoting Sri Lanka as a year-round travel destination, particularly during the offseason, enhancing the country’s tourism brand through digital marketing, strengthening human capital in the sector through skill development and training as well as attracting more foreign investment into tourism sector.”

It added that it was aimed at identifying strategies to attract tourists during the offseason, with the discussion chaired by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, with the participation of key stakeholders in the tourism industry.

Attention was also drawn to the current challenges facing the tourism industry. Stakeholders were briefed on the initiatives already undertaken by the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau to address these issues and advance the sector.

President Dissanayake revealed intentions to establish a dedicated unit at the Presidential Secretariat to coordinate all institutions related to tourism in a cohesive manner.

The government’s Clean Sri Lanka programme also received positive feedback from industry stakeholders and its potential integration into tourism promotion efforts was discussed in depth.