Miss France plays Ambassadorial role for Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts at IFTM
Tuesday, 1 October 2013 00:27
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While preparing to host the 33 Miss France finalists on a pre-pageant tour of Sri Lanka in November this year, Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts was pleased to welcome the reigning Miss France to its stall at the annual International French Travel Mart (IFTM), which is being held in Paris from 24 to 27 September.
Winner of Miss France 2012/2013 Marine Lorphelin who now plays the role of brand ambassador for Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts in lieu of its partnership for the pre-pageant tour, was warmly welcomed at the stall by the Cinnamon team, along with Sylvie Tellier, CEO of the Miss France Organisation and Miss France of 2002.
She will also be joining the contestants in Sri Lanka for the pre-pageant tour, which will be a part of the pageant’s official agenda, following regional selections that will culminate in the Grand Finale of the Miss France crowning pageant, scheduled to be held in Dijon, France early December 2014.
“We were delighted to have the opportunity to meet the current reigning Miss France and have her endorse our brand. This will surely be a stepping stone for the Miss France pre-pageant tour scheduled for November, exclusive with the Cinnamon properties,” said Dileep Mudadeniya, Vice President – John Keells Holdings Group and Head of Brand Marketing, Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts.
Keeping in line with their international marketing strategy, Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts is currently participating in the annual International French Travel Mart (IFTM) which is being held at Parc d’ Exposition in Porte de Versailles in Paris. IFTM Top Resa is France’s international travel and tourism trade fair and is the tourism industry’s leading event for networking, doing business, innovating and keeping abreast of market developments.
The exhibition offers a 360 degree panorama of the travel industry world-wide, covering all sectors: leisure, business and events. Last year alone, the IFTM attracted over 164 tourist destinations represented by 28,788 industry professionals and nearly 1,200 exhibitors and brands. There was a 12.5% international visitor participation and the trade show itself hosted 380 events along with the participation of nearly 1,000 journalists and other media.
France has a long haul travel market of over four million per year and out of this, countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, India, receive over 150,000 per year. In this context, according to Dileep, this is a very promising market for Sri Lanka Tourism, as the French market is dynamic in its outbound travel and possesses travellers who will engage in round tours in the country.
By participating at this Trade Fair, Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts hopes to attract such tourists who not only stay at beach hotels but also hotels within the Cultural Triangle and Hill Country – thereby being hospitable to all those who are keen to explore the rich culture and heritage of the destination.
It is anticipated that Sri Lanka has the possibility of attracting over 100,000 tourists from France by 2016.
