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Private sector campaign to woo more Indian visitors

by Elmo Leonard

Sri Lanka's private sector, began a major advertising campaign on March 18 to woo the Indian visitor in even higher numbers to Serendipity. The campaign, in three parts, involves a USAID grant of $1 million. John Varney, director, the competitiveness program USAID, said it would be the first major campaign for Sri Lanka.

Research shows that until recently, the Indians did not know that Paradise lay at its back door, Chairman, Tourism Cluster, Prema Cooray said. Within less than ten years of persuasion, the Indian visitor in 2005 replaced the Britisher as the number one caller at this resplendent island. Wetted by success and knowing that India is an emerging long haul tourism core (another being China) Sri Lanka has come out with a blistering media campaign. Awareness is also being taken to the Indians that Sri Lanka is a safe place for tourists.

President, Tourist Hotels Management of Sri Lanka Hiran Cooray said that almost every country seemed to be wooing the same (television) audience, the potential Indian tourist. The 'allurers' included Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Australia, Indonesia, the Maldives, Dubai, Mauritius and the EU nations. Thus, the advertising campaign, becomes different to what other destinations have to offer, it was explained. It portrays Sri Lanka as an unexplored, unspoiled land.

The places shown in the television ad from the air are the natural features of the land, the unpolluted sea beaches and golden sands, the rock hewn and feral hills, endless waterfalls, a moving herd of elephants, winding valleys, terraced rice fields, sculptured tea gardens, migratory birds, lost cities, the Sigiriya rock, forest monasteries, Adams Peak, valley of the clouds, vally of gems, leopard trails, highland railway trains, river safari and bird watching. Throughout the ad spot, the loud music, a refrain of the wind and wave sounds within the island, dawdles on.

The spot was created by JWT India, in association with JWT, Sri Lanka, "having won a multi agency pitch", president JWT Sri Lanka Ms Neelanie Goonetillake said. The Indians from JWT who made the film "were shocked more than anyone else, at the splendour of the island", they said.

In India with no clean beaches, just clean beaches could attract Indians, here they said. The campaign is mainly targeted at the audiences in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad, for these destinations have the added advantage of easy air accessibility to Sri Lanka with the weekly capacity of 18,000 airline seats, president, Sri Lanka Association of Inbound Tour Operators Vasantha Leelananda said.

Mission director, USAID Ms Carol Becker said she was pleased to see increased emphasis on niche markets. The per spend per day per Indian tourist was also improving, it was observed. The campaign is about a small island and a big trip. The Indians, are now being persuaded to spend a week or a month with their families here.

For the potential traveller to Sri Lanka, the website, www.smallislandbigtrip.com has been designed to help travellers to be connected to the hoteliers and tour operators. Besides, the campaign will give an opportunity for the whole tourism industry to gear itself to be ready to face the high volume of inquiries that will be generated through this campaign, Becker said.

Trails left by Rama and Sita in the Ramayana epic of 5,000 years ago, is being perused, Sita Eliya, in Nuwara Eliya being one, and eighteen such locations have been identified, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, P Ramanujan said.

Air Arabia and HSBC offer Ski holiday

Air Arabia LLC, the first international low-fares airline in Sri Lanka, has partnered with HSBC, the world's local bank, to offer their customers a Ski Holiday at 0% interest. HSBC customers can travel when they want to and then pay for their holiday in easy instalments over three months.

Air Arabia's Sri Lanka Manager Mayank Dhingra said, "As the first low fares airline in the region we have revolutionised regional air travel and are committed to continue to offer more people more affordable travel. With our low fares, you can now afford to go on holiday with your whole family. Pay with your HSBC card to travel now and pay in easy instalments."

Chief Executive Officer, HSBC Sri Lanka and Maldives David J. H. Griffiths said, "HSBC is pleased to enter into this partnership with Air Arabia, which is one of the leading airlines flying in the Middle East and the North African region. Including Air Arabia as one of the partners in HSBC's 0% interest scheme for HSBC credit cardholders is sure to increase customer convenience."

"Launched in 2004, the 0% interest scheme gives customers the choice of paying for goods and services in three, six, nine or twelve equal monthly instalments absolutely interest free, while still continuing to earn rewards points on their HSBC credit cards. I am certain that this will be a very fruitful and enduring partnership between Air Arabia and HSBC," he said.

HACCP certification for Hunas Falls and St. Andrew's Hotels

Hunas Falls Hotel, Elkaduwa, Kandy and St. Andrew's Hotel, Nuwara Eliya were awarded the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) certification at a ceremony at the Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI) recently.

The certification was received by Chamin Wickramasinghe and Wester Felthman, General Managers' of Hunas Falls Hotel and St. Andrew's Hotel, from the SLSI Chairman Dr. A.R.L. Wijesekera. HACCP is a system of food safety management that focuses on the 'critical points' in the food production chain where food safety problems may occur.

Through detailed record keeping, the HACCP plan promotes preventative methods and sets out clearly the guidelines and duty of food businesses to produce food safety and achieve consistency.

This includes any business which produces, processes, manufactures, stores, transports, distributes or sells foodstuffs or is engaged in any activity which may impact on the safety of such foodstuffs.

The benefits to business of legislation like this include increased management awareness of food safety hazards, reduced risk to customers from food-borne illness, fewer product complaints and recalls, greater customer confidence in the business and an enhanced ability to motivate and supervise food handlers.

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Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.