Media Center

23 October 2022; Colombo – SriLankan Airlines bagged a Gold Award in the category of ‘Marketing-Carrier’ at the 27^thPacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Gold Awards 2022, reaffirming the global appeal of its marketing communication endeavors. The campaign‚ ‘Say Bonjour to Paris’ is the fourth consecutive PATA Gold Award winning entry of the airline‚ which currently has a total of five PATA accolades under its belt.

This year’s virtual award ceremony crowned 25 Gold Award winners and two Grand Title winners out of 136 entries submitted by travel and tourism organizations and individuals worldwide‚ adjudged by a panel of 12 industry experts.

Richard Nuttall, Chief Executive Officer of SriLankan Airlines said, “We are delighted to receive yet another PATA award for our Marketing initiatives, which celebrates our efforts to raise awareness and attract the attention of travellers and the industry fraternity. As the national carrier, we are honored to put Sri Lanka on the map with this global accolade and we hope that it serves as an affirmation to the Sri Lankan tourism industry that we are heading in the right direction.”

‘Say Bonjour to Paris’ was created in line with the relaunch of three weekly‚ direct services between Paris and Colombo in October 2021. SriLankan Airlines returned to Paris after a break of six years‚ as such‚ establishing the airline brand was important for the longevity of the route and its contribution to the rest of the network.

SriLankan Airlines, Head of Marketing, Saminda Perera said, “As we are defending this coveted title for the fourth-year consecutive year, I take this opportunity to thank the encouragement and support extended to us by the management, our valued partners, my team and our creative agency Wunderman Thompson, without whom this will never be a possibility.”

The campaign was aimed at those interested in visiting a new destination that they had never been to before, but not excluding those who were already familiar with the area. Since Paris is recognized as an iconic city of art, with over 1,000 art galleries across, the visual dialect used in the campaign explores a well-balanced fusion of a signature French style of illustrating posters; with a recognizable vintage look that has depicted ‘Ceylon’ as a travel destination. The minimalist-vintage, art nouveau style is akin to the theatrical and travel posters in France.

SriLankan Airlines also congratulates its valued hospitality partners, Jetwing Hotels and Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts, the other two Sri Lankan entities that have been recognized at the PATA Gold Awards 2022.