COLOMBO, July 24 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's Tourism Promotion Bureau will soon launch mega campaigns in China, India and the Middle East to promote the island among tourists during the off season, local media reported Tuesday.

The first campaign is to be launched from September to November before winter season starts, Tourism Minister John Amaratunga said.

The main activity of this campaign is to promote special tour packages on offer during Sept. 1 to Nov. 30 to attract tourists from China, India and Middle East, media reports, quoting a bid document said.

The Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau has called for bids from advertising agencies for an international campaign for digital, social and print media, which is expected to be carried for three months, Amaratunga added.

Amaratunga said last week, the tourism promotions office was negotiating with airlines, hotels and travel agencies to create value for money deals to attract foreign visitors during the off season.

If the campaign is successful, it will be repeated annually, and a similar campaign will be also launched from March to July, Amaratunga added.

Sri Lanka's tourism industry, which was once heavily scarred by a 30-year civil conflict, has become one of the leading industries after it was dubbed as one of the world's greatest tourist hot spots by several international publications.

Tourist arrivals has recorded a growth of 15.3 percent during the first half of 2018 compared to the same period last year, recent statistics from the Tourism Ministry showed.

Amaratunga said recently the government was targeting a revenue of 4.4 billion U.S. dollars through its tourism sector this year.?