The “Visiting Travel Blogger and Journalist Programme” an annual project in which Sri Lanka Tourism hosts to diversify and spread the visitation of foreign travellers visiting the country and also generate income for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Sri Lanka was relaunched.
Through the visiting blogger and journalist programs, interest has been created to popularize the lesser-known attractions such as the Jaffna Peninsula, Pidurangala, Wilpattu, Riverstone-Matale, Seelogama – Belihuloya, Bandarawela, Monaragala, Maligathenna-Gampaha, Ridi Viharaya- Kurunegala, Diyaluma Falls, Kondagala-Kandy and Tangalle in Sri Lanka. Thus, more experience-driven opportunities and diversity will be created and added to a visitor’s expedition in Sri Lanka.
“So Sri Lanka”, the theme that was used to provide travellers with a lasting taste of authentic Sri Lankan life; from authentic local food, nature, rich cultural values and lifestyle. Most travellers are now looking for unique experience-based options which Sri Lanka can provide, with the support of the rapidly increasing micro, small and medium businesses.
International Travel Journalists and Travel Bloggers were identified based on their engaging content creation skills for travel blogs, popular social media platforms (such as YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook).
Previously, locations like Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Passikudah, Badulla, Riverstone, Bandarawela, Wilpattu and Belihuloya and Monaragala, hardly saw tourists, which were not on the regular guided tourist routes before. However, now these locations are part of the campaign to enhance their visibility and also ensure that these areas which contain small and medium enterprises, become a beacon for more travellers.
Ireland based Female Travel Blogger, Janet Newnham who has an international travel blog site called ‘Journalist on the run’, started blogging about Sri Lanka, commented that “I never expected to find some of the most beautiful hotels in the world in this small, but perfectly formed South Asian nation”.
Travel Bloggers, journalists and tourists are now unearthing places like Pettah, venturing into the unseen spice markets to buy spices from local wholesalers, then expanding their trip to Riverstone in Matale for hiking trails. Tourists are now stumbling upon waterfalls like Diyaluma, Sera Ella, Bopath Ella, Bambarakanda Ella, Duwili Ella and stopping over at homestay accommodation in the areas.
Another highlighted activity planned to uplift the local community was “Day with the locals” which was conducted in Selagama, a remote village in Belihuloya and Kilinochchi (North). This program offered to create a community based rural tourism experience for foreigners.
The captured content over these journeys was shared and published on popular travel blogs, online and print publications and social media platforms which reached the masses of people from different demographics of travellers around the world.
Source: http://www.dailynews.lk/2021/04/12/business/246484/sri-lanka-tourism%E2%80%98s-hosts-int%E2%80%99l-travel-blogger-journalist-program-support