Pioneering its contribution to marketing Sri Lanka as a “must-visit travel destination” over the decades, Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts is making a renewed effort by launching the “One Island, A thousand treasures” destination promotion campaign.
This novel campaign will unveil the unknown stories behind Sri Lanka and paint a unique picture of culturally relevant stories just waiting to be explored by the world. Cinnamon aims to play a proactive role to entice global travellers to experience Sri Lanka by showcasing the nation’s unique places, people, and experiences beyond the usual sites and excursions. These stories will be promoted via digital platforms to engage an international audience through social media and programmatic digital marketing, to encourage travellers to visit and experience Sri Lanka.
They say tourists are becoming travellers; travellers have the desire of discovering places – they discover the undiscovered, find places that have never been visited before, and improve their social currency by showcasing the never before seen and creating unknown stories.
Speaking at the press conference for the launch of the campaign, Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts Vice President – Marketing and Events Dileep Mudadeniya stated that the “One Island, A thousand treasures” campaign will soon be the primary motivation that urges people to travel.
Commenting on the campaign, he noted that the “One Island, A thousand treasures” campaign is a strategy to discover places, people, events, or even rituals that have been hidden for centuries and it is the first of its nature. “Anyone can send in their recommendations to our email, website, or dedicated telephone line and from those, three months from now, a thousand stories will be selected by a panel and then we will create detailed information on the topic,” he explained, adding that a map, where one can zoom in and access the stories and information, will be made as well, to be shared around social media.
Concluding, he affirmed that Sri Lanka has thousands of stories which we haven’t taken to the world – true stories which will compel people to visit, and that this campaign will be our promotional proposition to the world.
Dentsu Grant Agency Managing Director Neela Marikkar noted that for the last few years, Sri Lanka has used the same iconic tourist sites to promote the destination. “Not to discount the beauty of these places, but today international travellers are looking for something more than the typical tourist attractions of beaches, gardens, and temples. Today’s millennials and Gen Zs want authentic experiences; they want to explore, learn new things, and have more adventures. They want a deeper connection to the places they visit,” she stated, adding that these tourists like to engage with the local community and experience their culture, cuisine, and also their wellness and mindfulness. “The purpose of the campaign is to do just this; our country is rich in heritage and history – so much has been written and yet there is still so much more to discover. The country holds a myriad of treasures and that’s the serendipitous nature of Sri Lanka,” she said, when speaking on what Sri Lanka has to offer.
Also sharing his thoughts on this initiative was Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mikael Svensson, who stated that with the “One Island, A thousand treasures” initiative, they are taking giant steps to elevate the perception of Sri Lanka among the rest of the world. “Our vision will be achieved by raising awareness of the country’s hidden treasures that go beyond the usual tourist experiences,” he explained, adding that as a country replete with culture, history, wellness, spirituality, and nature, they are excited to play a role in showcasing these undiscovered locations through this campaign and positioning Sri Lanka as a must-visit destination.
Furthermore, the “One Island, A thousand treasures” initiative targets the creation of new business opportunities for local communities including the revival of local arts and crafts. By promoting the niche, lesser-known experiences, and history of Sri Lanka, not only will the country have more to offer tourists, but it will also help more industry stakeholders – a key objective of the campaign.
Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) Chairperson Kimarli Fernando stated that Sri Lanka Tourism is excited to partner this unique initiative with Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts as it leverages on the growing trend for content creation and emotional storytelling. “By joining Cinnamon’s ‘One Island, A thousand treasures’, we are hopeful that content creators, social media influencers, and tourists alike will take on the challenge to discover the authentic sights and sounds of the island, which are off the beaten path. I have no doubt that there are many hidden gems to uncover. Such an initiative is of paramount importance to promote Sri Lanka as the most sought-after travel destination,” she further shared.
Digital content creators can record their discovery and share it with the Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts team via the “One Island, A thousand treasures” website or through Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube by tagging @CinnamonHotels and #Onelsland Thousand Treasures. Upon submission of an authentic Sri Lankan story of a unique place, people, or culture, an independent panel of content experts will review each entry. As a reward, contributors and content creators are entitled to promotional discounts giveaways and getaways courtesy of Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts and a host of other partner brands, should their submission be selected for the campaign.