• 68% tourist in France carry a travel guide book
• Petit Fute pioneer the digital travel book

The Sri Lanka edition launched for the key French travel fair IFTM end September 2015

Created in 1976 by two visionaries Jean-Paul Laboudette and Dominique Auzias the Petit Fute is one of the most respected French travel guidebook publishing companies has selected Sri Lanka to be featured ahead of the popular travel and tourism fair IFTM scheduled for launch in September 2015.

“Latest insight reveals that 68% of the tourists in France carry a guide book and Petit Fute launched the pioneering digital travel guide book which is why we partnered Petit Fute on the Sri Lanka edition,” said Sri Lanka Tourism Promotions Bureau Chairman Dr. Rohantha Athukorala. “Today, every printed guidebook is available on smart phones and tablet with over 252,000 e books sold whilst the 32% French tourists having access to the Petit Fute – Sri Lanka edition free of charge on the website.”

Trip Adviser research reveals that 77% of the travellers now make decisions on line with traditional media like TV and press having lesser influence, to be specific at No. 5 position which means that Sri Lanka tourism must move away from traditional media advertising to online media with focused creative content,” said Athukorala.  “We must make this market a 100,000 source from the current 60,000 but attracting the $250 tourist than the current $160. If not, we cannot make this industry financially viable and continue to attract the foreign investment given that the hotels and restaurant business records a 24% growth on GDP as per the latest statistics compounded between 2009 and 2014 by Central Bank.”