JWT, Mumbai, kick-starts 2006 with Sri Lanka Tourism

JWT, Mumbai, has opened its account in 2006 with the creative duties of Sri Lanka Tourism. The size of the business, as estimated by close industry sources, is close to Rs 10 crore.

The media duties will be handled by one of the Group M agencies.

The pitch for this business was held sometime in December 2005. It is learnt that there were around five agencies in the fray, but the names of these could not be ascertained.

Tarun Rai, senior vice-president and general manager, JWT, Mumbai, confirmed the news to agencyfaqs!, saying, “Sri Lanka is a beautiful country and an ideal tourist destination for an Indian. We hope to drive home this point through our campaign.”

JWT will position Sri Lanka as a preferred destination for an Indian tourist over all the other options available in Asia, including Malaysia, Singapore, Dubai and Hong Kong.

The communication will try to change the general perception among Indians that they know all about their neighbouring countries. The idea will be to surprise them with many interesting facts on Sri Lanka.

The media mix will involve television, press, outdoor, events and Internet advertising.

Sri Lanka, whose economy is still reeling under the impact of the December 2004 tsunami, relies considerably on tourism for foreign exchange. The Sri Lanka Tourism Board believes that despite being a small country, Sri Lanka has several sites of tourist interest.

© 2006 agencyfaqs!