Govenrment and Business Environment Case Study

Sri Lanka Tourism: Trials and Tribulations

OR

Abstract:
Over the years, Sri Lanka has been a tourists' delight. With its gifted natural beauty, the country had immense potential for sustainable tourism. Before 1960s, the Sri Lankan tourism sector's status was graded low by its government. But with surge in number of tourists and the Sri Lankan tourism sector becoming the fourth largest foreign exchange earner and employment generator, the 'island country' took up several initiatives to promote tourism in a big way. However, the progress of tourist activities retarded due to continuous ethnic strife and natural disasters like tsunami. To restore fading image of tourism, the Sri Lankan government initiated revival strategies by collaborating with international agencies like United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United Sates Agency for International Development (USAID). With its revival strategies in place, it is to be seen if the Sri Lanka Tourism Board would be able to capitalise on the surging global tourism trends to attain one and half billion international tourist arrivals by 2020.

Pedagogical Objectives:

• To understand the dynamics of global tourism industry
• To examine the development of Sri Lankan tourism and its contribution to the country's economy
• To discuss brand positioning and image building strategies adopted by Sri Lanka Tourist Board
• To analyse the branding initiatives of Sri Lanka Tourist Board
• To understand the importance of risk management in tourism industry
• The revival strategies adopted by Sri Lanka Tourist Board.

Keywords : Sri Lanka Tourism Industry, Sri Lanka Tourist Board, Branding Initiative, Revival Strategies, Impact of Natural Calamities on Tourism Industry, Destination Marketing, Government and Business Environment Case Study, Child Sex Tourism, Eco Tourism, Risk Management, Challenges in Positioning and Branding