Nation branding ‘earned, not advertised’: Mudadeniya

Dileep Mudadeniya stresses that nation branding needs long-term policy consistency, not advertising Says a strong national image boosts tourism RoI and makes marketing more effective Suggests ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ policy can be a great way to enter nation branding process Urges Sri Lanka to build a continuous, integrated tourism research system using global best practices Calls for a data-backed marketing strategy with clear segmentation, targets and RoI metrics Pushes for deeper private-sector involvement to strengthen accountability and long-term competitiveness

- BY CHARUMINI DE SILVA

SRI Lanka Tourism Advisory Committee Chairman Dileep Mudadeniya stressed that nation branding and destination marketing are fundamentally different, whilst urging the policymakers and industry stakeholders to clearly understand this distinction when shaping Sri Lanka’s long-term tourism strategy.

He made these remarks recently during a panel discussion titled, ‘Turning Data into Direction: Shaping Tourism Together’ organised by Australia’s Market Development Facility (MDF), in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) to launch Sri Lanka’s 12-month national airport exit survey to support data-driven tourism planning in the country.

Mudadeniya noted that nation branding is not a marketing campaign, but the reputation a country earns over decades through consistent policy, governance, public diplomacy, cultural exports, innovation, and overall national behaviour.

“A nation brand cannot be built through advertisements,” he said, citing Incredible India as an example of a tourism campaign rather than a driver of India's global reputation.