Sri Lanka is expanding its social media influencer campaign to boost tourism. 

According to Chalaka Gajabahu, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, the country plans to bring in 40 new influencers to promote various aspects of its tourism offerings.

This initiative builds on a “seeing-is-believing” campaign that brought 190 influencers to Sri Lanka. 

Gajabahu credits this strategy for Sri Lanka’s current ranking in the top 5 global travel indexes, particularly when some countries like the U.S. issued travel alerts for Sri Lanka due to protests over the economic and political situation and terrorist attacks.

In January, Sri Lanka launched a 1.5 billion tourist campaign, which includes collaborations with high-profile social media personalities such as Nas Daily and Luke Martin. 

The campaign aims to showcase different facets of Sri Lanka’s tourism potential, including wildlife and wellness experiences.

The Sri Lanka Tourist Development Authority (SLTDA) reports that the country has received 1.1 million tourists from January to July 2024. The tourism board aims to increase this number to 2.3 million by the end of the year.

Sri Lanka is building on its April initiative, highlighting the tagline, “You Will Come Back for More.” It targeted key inbound markets, including the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Australia, Singapore, the USA, and Canada.

The delegation represented a combined global audience of 1.8 million across mainstream travel magazines, news publications, travel blogs, and social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok. 

Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) estimated that the total advertising value from this earned media promotion exceeded approximately $115,000.

“The visit of these international media and travel influencers is part of our global campaigns to promote the destination within key source markets and globally,”  Gajabahu stated at the time. 

The tour, conducted between April 2 and 12, 2024, covered various locations, including Colombo, Habarana, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Ella, Udawalawa, Galle, and Bentota.

The initiative also incorporated environmental awareness, with the delegation participating in a Maadu Ganga River cleaning session organized by the Zero Plastic Movement and Safari Boat Service Providers Association.

As of July 25, 2024, Sri Lanka welcomed 1,162,426 international visitors, and tourism revenue reached $1.56 billion in the first six months of the year. 

The country aims to surpass its 2018 peak tourism performance, leveraging a coordinated program of global tourism promotion initiatives and participation in major travel fairs.