Sri Lanka’s tourism industry continues to suffer from inconsistent and fragmented marketing strategies despite strong post-pandemic recovery and record earnings of over USD 3.17 billion in 2024, industry experts have warned.
President of the Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators (SLAITO) and Managing Director of Aitken Spence Travels, Nalin Jayasundera, told a recent industry forum that Sri Lanka’s frequent rebranding and lack of a cohesive campaign is undermining its global tourism potential.
“In the past 10 years, we’ve had around seven chairmen and five different tourism taglines,” Jayasundera noted. “Consistency in branding is critical to positioning Sri Lanka as a competitive destination.”
Tourism remains the island’s third-largest industry, yet professionals argue that poor destination branding is costing the country opportunities to cement its identity in the global market.
Sri Lanka’s taglines have shifted from “A Land Like No Other” to “Wonder of Asia” in 2012, “So Sri Lanka” in 2018, and “You Will Come Back for More” in 2023, none of which have been sustained long enough to make a lasting impression.
The Strategic Plan for Sri Lanka Tourism 2022–2025 echoes this concern, calling for “consistent and integrated marketing communication for destination branding.”
By contrast, countries such as India and Malaysia have reaped long-term benefits from sticking to strong, singular campaigns.
India’s “Incredible India” campaign, launched in 2002 during a period of geopolitical instability, is now one of the world’s most recognisable tourism slogans.
Malaysia’s “Malaysia Truly Asia” branding, created in 1999, continues to reinforce the nation’s multicultural appeal and has adapted to niche trends such as dark tourism.
“Without a global, consumer-focused campaign, Sri Lanka risks remaining the best-kept secret in tourism,” Jayasundera warned.
Experts observed that frequent changes in branding not only confuse potential visitors but also lead to budget inefficiencies and diluted messaging, ultimately diverting interest to better-marketed destinations.
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