Abstract:
The purpose of this paper is to examine whether and to what extent
branding and the trademark regime can be used in a business way to
extract value from tourism-related products and services in Sri Lanka.
From an intellectual property perspective, the study highlights the
importance attached to distinctive signs, namely; trademarks,
collective and certification marks, and geographical indications in the
context of tourism promotion. With the objective to investigate the
application of the trademark system to brand touristic offers, this study
elucidates the most recent scholarly contributions by employing a
systematic literature review method. The findings of this study reveal
that, even though Sri Lanka is a top tourist destination, it has barely
scratched the surface of its true potential for tourism promotion by the
using of branding and the trademark system of the country. This paper
offers relevant information to tourism stakeholders for effective use of
the trademark rights in the tourism business and proposes avenues for
future research in the scholastic field. In terms of originality, to the best
of the author’s knowledge, this is the first research article that explores
the use of branding and trademark system in the tourism sector in Sri
Lanka.
