Sri Lanka steps up tourism publicity in China

COLOMBO -- Sri Lanka's government has stepped up its tourism promotion in China with special focus on Shanghai, Hangzhou and Chengdu as it attempts to maintain a postwar tourism boom, a statement said on Thursday.

The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Beijing together with the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau has organized a series of events to promote Sri Lanka as a tourist destination in Shanghai, Hangzhou and Chengdu to attract Chinese tourists to Sri Lanka including those who will be travelling overseas during the Chinese "Spring Festival" holiday in February 2013.

According to the statement released by the Sri Lankan External Ministry, Sri Lanka tourism pavilions were organized at the "China International Travel Mart 2012" Exhibition, or CITM, in Shanghai and the "Chengdu International Travel Fair 2012" Exhibition, or CITF.

"The Embassy of Sri Lanka, in consultation with the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, designed the Sri Lanka pavilions to exhibit the eight product categories of Sri Lanka tourism and were awarded the 'Best Organizer Award' of CITM 2012 in Shanghai and ' Certificate of Appreciation' at CITF 2012 in Chengdu," it said.

Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, under its visiting journalists program, has also arranged for a dozen Chinese media organizations to visit the country to increase exposure.

In 2012 a total of 18,823 Chinese arrivals have been recorded so far, which is a 35.5 percent increase from last year.

During the first 10 months of this year, total tourist arrivals amounted to 774,151, up by 16 percent over the same period of last year.

The Sri Lankan government hopes to attract 1 million tourists this year.