‘Discover Sri Lanka’ tourism promotion in French

A digital marketing specialist, Frederic Laval from France has created a comprehensive Sri Lanka Tourism web portal under the new brand identity www.discoversrilanka.travel, which was launched recently at a simple ceremony held in Colombo. 

Laval, a post graduate in marketing and communication sciences in France, said: “I can use all my skills in technical tools and wealth of experience to promote and influence to create a dynamic image of Sri Lanka through their novel web portal.”

This unique digital media marketing concept was jointly created in Sri Lanka by his Sri Lanka counterpart Jayantha Dharmaratne of Digital Effiscience Ltd. This ground breaking web portal was been researched, designed and developed by digital specialist Laval founder and former CEO of DSFI Corporate Media Group in France with its Sri Lanka collaborator. Digital Effiscience was recently established to undertake all kinds of social media marketing strategies for tourism promotion.

Laval said: “Very often tourism sector authorities have a Facebook and Twitter presence. It is important to go one step further make significant in using Instagram, Pinterest, Google+, Tumblr or Wordpress with changes in recent days.”

Sri Lanka counterpart Dharmaratne said: “The long term objective of this novel strategy is to build closer interactions between the inbound European sector and Sri Lanka stakeholders in tourism and to support the Government’s objective in tourism sector development plans.”

They are preparing for another two supportive web portals in e-guide (e-catalog) format in promotion of all sector accommodations, restaurants, coffee shops, pubs and clubs, adventures sites, eco-tourism and wildlife tours, branded and local shopping, art and craft promotions, public places and Ayurvedic health and spas to go on full-scale social media strategy.

Laval of www.discoversrilanka.travel said they had had discussions with some senior Tourist Board authorities as well as industry experts and were encouraged them to launch this new web portal as there was a difficulty in finding comprehensive information on Sri Lanka in the French language, hence the new brand identity is created highlighting Sri Lanka, her nature rich environment, ancient civilised culture, history, monuments, lifestyles, foods and customs and many other information about Sri Lanka required by the French speaking travellers.

He further revealed that the project was appreciated by the Tourist Board authorities in Sri Lanka, as well as leading tourism industry experts who met him in Sri Lanka recently, and anticipate it will influence an increase in inbound French speaking travellers to Sri Lanka.