Within the 1st quarter of 2022, travel influencer promotions specifically highlighted areas such as Anuradhapura, Matale, Knuckle's Mountain Range, Gal Oya, Kumana, Pottuvil, Passikudah, Southern and Eastern Coastal belts. Fifteen (15) internationally recognized travel influencers representing nine (09) sourcing markets including the United Kingdom, Germany, Norway, Belgium, USA, and Spain were invited during February and early March. The total combined reach of these influencers is 5,291,333 and they are expected to create over 276 online posts about Sri Lanka covering mainstream social media platforms including Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, etc. Through these versatile earned media collaborations, Sri Lanka Tourism is expected to create massive global attention towards Sri Lanka over the upcoming months in 2022.

The Island nation has also got positive feedback who participated in the Media Familiarization Tour and they seem to be overjoyed with their experience.

Multi-Award Winning British Travel Blogger, Bella Falk (blog: www.passportandpixcel.com ) who took part in Media Familiarization Trip with Sri Lanka Tourism stated that;

“I was lucky enough to travel around Sri Lanka, experiencing some of the incredible places this country has to offer including gorgeous sceneries, ancient historical sites, amazing food, and some lovely hotels. What I like about is the sustainable focus of some of the hotels. That encourages us as travelers to visit Sri Lanka'. I just found Sri Lanka is so welcoming and beautiful as well. If you thinking about coming, I would recommend...”

Janet Newenham (one of the world's well-recognized travel bloggers) who explored the Eastern Province under VBP -2022  shared her true experiences on her Instagram as  follows:  https://www.instagram.com/janetnewenham/, https://www.youtube.com/user/janetnewenham/

As she stated “Most people visiting Sri Lanka flock to the cultural triangle (Kandy, Sigiriya, Ella) and also spend a few days in the South Coast. But soon the monsoon season will begin in the South Coast, and many cafes, co-working spaces, and even some accommodation places will close their doors. From May onwards the Eastern Monsoon ends and this Eastern coastline of Sri Lanka is the place to be with long, dry days and plenty of sunshine. For surfing, most people will probably head to Arugam Bay, which is perfect for beginner surfers year-round and Pro surfers during the summer months when waves are best. The beaches are spectacular from the town of Panama to Arugam Bay, Passikuda, and Trincomalee. From June onwards the water becomes super flat and clear in Passikuda, ideal for snorkeling, SUP, and other water-based activities including jet skis, etc.

Moreover, she highlighted that 'One unique thing about the East coast is the mixture of culture and religion. You'll find both Buddhist and Hindu temples overlooking the beaches, but also quite a large Muslim population too. And the further north you go, you'll notice they speak Tamil rather than just Sinhala, like in the local market we went to this morning where the first photo was taken. No matter where you stay on the east coast, you're never too far from a National Park. This means there are endless opportunities to take a swim in the sea in the morning and spend your afternoon in search of rare birdlife or even wild elephants. A pretty amazing holiday combination.”