How to Attract and Gain Repeat Local Visitors Right Now
The 6th edition of Sri Lanka Tourism Alliances Resilience Webinar series was held on Thursday 24th September 2020 at 10.00 am (SL Time) on the topic ‘How to attract and gain repeat local visitors right now – Join leading industry experts as they share what’s working beyond just discounting’.
Sri Lanka’s tourism industry has always been heavily reliant on international visitors with domestic travelers traditionally being considered an off peak or low season market. However, the current pandemic and its ripple effect has meant that the industry has had to evolve and embrace a ‘new normal’. With the country’s international airports remaining closed for tourism, and no definite reopening date announced so far, the industry has to pin all its hopes on the domestic market at least for the foreseeable future.
The traditional approach of considering the domestic market as one unified entity mainly driven by discounted selling during the low season will need to be reconsidered. Today, instead of filling seasonal gaps, the industry is faced with the challenge of running a viable operation purely through domestic travelers. In this webinar, industry experts and innovators spoke about out of the box ideas on how to attract repeat local visitors.
Panelists included:
Jerome Auvity joined the Jetwing family in 2012 as Director Operations – Negombo Hotels, and now holds responsibility for the overall operations of all Jetwing hotels. Thriving in a role full of challenges and opportunities that he thoroughly enjoys, his enthusiasm and commitment helps Jetwing Hotels to constantly generate new ideas, explore innovative avenues of growing the business, and meet objectives – financial and otherwise
Rajiv Welikala is a professional wildlife photographer, tour operator, author, and safari guide. Currently, he is a Manager at Classic Destinations (Pvt) Ltd where he heads Wildlife and Luxury travel experiences. Besides promoting Sri Lanka he is also an active tour leader and safari guide for safaris worldwide. A household name in the Sri Lankan wildlife scene, Rajiv has created a niche market of fellow wildlife enthusiasts who seek travel experiences to explore the natural world
Dilshan Rabbie, Co-founder, Ceylon Haven. Dilshan has developed a knowledge base that is focused on the promotion and sales of local businesses and destinations. With an eye for precision and detail, Dilshan builds consumer confidence through the creation of a unified connection between the consumer and their desired destination.
Niranka T. Perera, Chairman and CEO, Antyra Solutions. Niranka is an expert in digital strategy, e-commerce and business development. He has developed strategies and managed the execution of digital campaigns for over 160 brands globally.
Introduction was by Co-Chair Sri Lanka Tourism Alliance, Malik J Fernando, and the session was moderated by Global Tourism Expert Katherine Droga, Founder Droga & Co, and Advisor to the Alliance.
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Watch the webinar video here.
