Members of Sri Lanka’s tourism industry are set to gain useful insights from a survey of 10,000 travel consumers across 10 key Sri Lankan source markets, in a webinar organised by Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) in collaboration with Market Development Facility (MDF), Australia’s flagship private sector development program.

“Business and Consumer Insights for Tourism Reopening in Sri Lanka” will take place via Zoom on Tuesday, 30 November, at 2.30 pm. The discussion panel will comprise Ms. Kimarli Fernando – Chairperson, Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority; Mr. Hiran Cooray – Chairman, Jetwing Symphony PLC and Chairman, Tourism Advisory Committee; and Mr. Oliver Martin – Partner, Twenty 31 Consulting Inc. The webinar will be moderated by Katherine Droga – Founder, Droga & Co.

The discussion will focus on the findings of the latest SLTDA-MDF report, “Sri Lanka’s Competitive Brand Standing and Consumer Travel Perceptions to Drive Smart, Sustainable Tourism Recovery”.

Developed by international tourism consultancy, Twenty31 Consulting Inc., the report draws on current market research on Sri Lanka’s brand health and consumer behaviour insights, based on a representative sample of 10,000 travel consumers across 10 source markets – China, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The findings shared at the webinar will include useful takeaways for tourism stakeholders looking to re-focus their business and target the post-COVID traveller: ideal consumer audience segments to target, designing products and experiences that will resonate more with travellers, understanding how best to connect with potential travellers, and designing effective marketing strategies to drive high-value tourism to Sri Lanka.

“Due to the relaxation of restrictions and the upcoming winter season, the tourist consumer demand for Sri Lanka has been growing and our tourism arrival numbers have been steadily yet gradually increasing” said Kimarli Fernando, Chairperson of Sri Lanka Tourism. “Business and consumer insights are crucial at this time, to navigate and maintain this demand through strategic marketing initiatives.”

“I cordially invite all tourism businesses and service providers to be part of this vital conversation and adopt evidence-based marketing strategies to stay ahead of demand,” she added.

MDF’s engagement in the initiative is part of Australia’s broader support to the Sri Lankan tourism industry, through MDF. MDF is funded by the Australian Government and implemented by Palladium, in partnership with Swisscontact.

SLTDA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with MDF in 2020. Through MDF support, international tourism consultancy Twenty31 Consulting Inc. has been working closely with SLTDA to develop and implement a five-year research roadmap focused on improving tourism data collection, analysis and usage. The roadmap identifies a series of steps to be implemented over the next five years that would bring the capability of Sri Lanka Tourism to the standards adopted by leading tourism destinations globally.

“Our goal is to support Sri Lanka Tourism and industry stakeholders with the necessary evidence to assist them in identifying new opportunities for investments and promotions, offering greater value for businesses,” said Momina Saqib, MDF Sri Lanka Country Director.

The webinar will take place on Tuesday, 30 November 2021, from 2.30pm to 4.00pm via Zoom.

Participants in the webinar will have the opportunity to access the full report.