By Shehaan Thahir
When Information Becomes Critical Infrastructure
In the week following Cyclone Ditwah, our on-ground videos helped protect an estimated USD 800,000+ in tourism value, reaching over 3 million viewers worldwide. This impact came not from promotion, but from sharing accurate, real-time information that influenced traveller confidence during a critical moment.
However, this report is not about one campaign or one creator. It looks at why this worked, and why the collective effect of trusted creators sharing verified information is likely far greater than what any single report can measure.
More importantly, it asks what we can learn from this moment, and how Sri Lanka can better leverage creator-led communication during future crises to protect livelihoods and economic stability.
A Collective Response From the Creator Community
What unfolded during Cyclone Ditwah was not the effort of a single platform or voice. It was the result of many creators, media outlets, and everyday citizens stepping up simultaneously, each contributing in different but equally important ways.
Mobilising Relief at Scale
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Travel With Wife, Sri Lanka’s most popular Sinhala travel channel, Wild Cookbook, Block & Dino & Lochana were among a few of those who quickly redirected their platform toward collecting and distributing relief across the island. Alongside a network of other YouTubers, their reach was repurposed from entertainment to logistics, fundraising, and coordination.
What stood out was how quickly entertainment-led channels transformed into operational support systems, mobilising resources, volunteers, and visibility at scale.
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Filling the Information Vacuum
At a time when verified public information was limited and fragmented, Digital first news outlets like Hesh,Sri Lanka and Newsbyash played a critical role in keeping people informed. By sharing timely updates, clarifying misinformation, and directing audiences toward credible sources, the platform helped maintain clarity during a period of widespread uncertainty.
In moments like these, calm and consistent communication becomes a form of relief in itself.
Grassroots Fundraising and Social Momentum
On an individual level, creators such as Senuri Rupasinghe, Anudhi, Chethana among many others, led grassroots efforts to collect funds and aid. By transparently documenting both the collection and distribution process, they created trust and momentum.
Audiences did not simply observe. They participated. This visibility generated social proof and encouraged more people to step forward and contribute.
The Public as Amplifiers
Beyond creators alone, the general public played an equally important role. Ordinary citizens sharing videos, photos, and firsthand updates through social media created a decentralised but highly effective awareness network.
This organic flow of information reached international audiences rapidly and contributed to swift voluntary support from countries such as the UAE, Japan, and Australia.
When compared to the 2004 tsunami, where aid moved through far slower, more centralised channels, the contrast is clear. This time, information travelled instantly, and response followed more quickly and more efficiently.
At the core of that shift lies the power of social media, and the responsibility carried by those who command trusted channels within it.
Our Role During This Period
During the days following Cyclone Ditwah, our focus was simple. Share verified, on-the-ground updates that reflected reality as accurately as possible.
The intent was not to downplay the situation, nor to offer reassurance without substance. It was to provide clarity, particularly for travellers watching from abroad, many of whom were already planning to visit Sri Lanka during the peak season.
In moments of crisis, silence creates space for speculation. Speculation often leads to reactive decisions that carry long-term consequences for communities dependent on tourism.
Our approach was to document conditions region by region, update frequently, and respond directly to questions from viewers, allowing people to make informed decisions rather than fear-based ones.
Is it Safe to Travel Sri Lanka?
Was the question we kept seeing from the first day of news of the cyclone and so we set off to shoot a 7 day series documenting the main tourist trail that majority of the tourists would be taking this holiday season. during this time we also updated our viewers on Instagram & Facebook through real time stories answering the most common questions and concerns we kept seeing
The strategy behind the campaign
Having seen the impact our previous campaigns such as the @this is Sri Lanka Campaign poster Easter, Sri Lanka is ready for Travel Post Covid Lockdown, Situation on the ground during Aragalaya 2022, and Cycling around the island during the economic crisis, we knew our platform had the ability to amplify a message focused on Sri Lanka and especially around tourism.
Inspired by all the great work everyone was doing on the ground to help those in need, we hatched our own plan to be as effective as possible in the shortest amount of turnaround time. Having learnt from our logistical mistakes in the past filming the above campaigns and also understanding the social media landscape today, we decided to focus all our attention on creating a series of 1‑minute reels that we could post across all our social platforms to amplify the reach in a short period of time.
Unlike our previous campaigns, we had no time to formulate a media kit for this, nor did we think it was the right mood to bring on partners to fund the campaign, as we did not want to promote anything else in the videos considering the vibe at the time.
So we decided to fund it ourselves and reach out to hotels as we made our way to each city along the trail. Many of our partners who we have worked with in the past gladly offered us complimentary rooms as they understood the importance of the mission we were embarking on.
Special thanks to our property partners: Aliya Resort & Spa – Habarana, Cinnamon Lodge Habarana, Kandy Myst By Citadel – Kandy, Jetwing St Andrews – Nuwara Eliya, The Glenrock – Belihul Oya, Jetwing Yala – Yala.
Given the little time we had to film, edit, and publish daily, we focused on creating reels that we could publish on all our social media platforms and invited the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotions Bureau to collaborate with our platforms so that we could reach audiences beyond our own channels as well.
Assets created and distributed via our own platforms for the campaign
Is Sri Lanka Safe to Travel Post Cyclone Ditwah
View Cyclone Ditwah Campaign Stats Here
The Audience Breakdown
Instagram analytics from Dec 1-7 showing top performing content and audience demographics across Sri Lanka (39.7%), Australia (8.6%), United Kingdom (8.6%), and India (6.6%).
Facebook audience demographics showing 60% men and 39% women, with primary age groups 35-44 and 45-54. Top regions include Western Province (4.3K), England (1.1K), and Victoria (874). Top countries are Sri Lanka (6.9K), Australia (1.8K), and United Kingdom (1.2K).
TikTok Studio analytics from last 7 days showing top performing videos and viewer locations. Primary audience from Sri Lanka (43.7%), with significant international reach including United Kingdom (7.1%), Australia (6.2%), Maldives (8.2%), and Canada (4.5%).
Estimating Economic Sensitivity During a Crisis
To better understand the potential implications of this behaviour, we applied a deliberately cautious model to estimate the possible tourism value preserved during this period.
This exercise is not intended to suggest ownership of outcomes. Instead, it helps illustrate scale.
If even a small fraction of viewers choose not to cancel or proceed with bookings, the downstream impact can be significant in a tourism-dependent economy.
Behind every booking decision is more than a transaction.
A driver continues to work.
A small hotel remains operational.
A guide retains employment.
A community regains momentum.
In this context, data becomes useful not as a scorecard, but as a lens. It helps translate instinctive observations into language that policymakers and industry stakeholders can engage with.
Economic Modelling Used in This Case Study
The intention here is not to claim ownership of outcomes, but to understand what is at stake when accurate information reaches people who are already in the process of making travel decisions.
Inputs Used in the Model
The following values were used, each selected conservatively to avoid overstating impact.
- Total campaign reach used for modelling: 3,000,000 views
- Assumed conversion from content exposure to a travel decision: 0.02 percent
- Attribution to content-led clarity rather than full decision influence: 75 percent
- Average number of guests per travel decision: 2 people
- Estimated average spend per guest: USD 1,500
These assumptions sit well below typical tourism benchmarks and were intentionally chosen to reflect sensitivity rather than certainty.
Even small changes in conversion dramatically affect overall impact:
| Conversion Rate | Estimated Trips | Impact (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| 0.10% | 1,386 | US$ 4,158,000 |
| 0.05% | 693 | US$ 2,079,000 |
| 0.02% (baseline) | 370 | US$ 832,500 |
| 0.001% | 18 | US$ 54,900 |
What the Model Suggests
Applying the above inputs results in an estimated USD 800,000 plus in potential tourism value preserved during this period.
This figure should not be read as revenue generated by one platform, nor as a direct conversion outcome. Instead, it represents the scale of economic exposure tied to perception during a crisis.
Even small reductions in unnecessary cancellations, when spread across a large audience during peak season, can have meaningful downstream effects for a tourism economy.
Why This Framing Matters
For me, this modelling exercise was not about arriving at a headline number. It was about making visible something that often goes unmeasured.
Uncertainty has a cost.
Clarity has value.
In tourism, that value shows up quietly in continued employment, operational continuity, and communities being able to recover faster rather than slower.
This case study uses one channel as a reference point, but the implication is broader. Any trusted platform that delivers timely, accurate information during a crisis has the potential to influence outcomes in similar ways.
Closing Reflection
If there is one thing this period reinforced for me, it is that reach carries responsibility.
In moments like these, how we choose to use our platforms matters far more than how big they are.
