Ride-hailing company PickMe has unveiled Colombo Connect, a city-wide digital platform designed to integrate Colombo's attractions, restaurants, entertainment and transport services. The initiative, operating under the newly rebranded PickMe Explore platform, aims to encourage visitors to spend more time in the…
PickMe has introduced Colombo Connect, a digital ecosystem intended to present Colombo's diverse attractions and services as a unified destination. The platform, launched in partnership with Colombo Lotus Tower, consolidates information about restaurants, cultural venues, entertainment, retail and mobility options into a single interface accessible through users' smartphones. According to PickMe Chief Executive Officer Jiffry Zulfer, the initiative addresses a fragmentation problem where tourist destinations and businesses currently operate independently without coordinated marketing or discovery mechanisms.
The platform represents a rebranding and expansion of PickMe Events, which now operates as PickMe Explore. Through this national digital ecosystem, users can purchase attraction tickets, access exclusive offers and arrange transport within curated city experiences. Colombo Lotus Tower serves as the first partner, offering digital ticket purchases for its Observation Deck and Pixel Bloom, an interactive digital art museum described as South Asia's first of its kind. Additional attractions and businesses are expected to join the ecosystem over time.
PickMe projects that the platform could generate more than Rs. 30 billion annually in economic activity once fully developed. The company identifies a recognised tourism pattern where international visitors arrive in Colombo but depart within hours for coastal and hill country destinations, limiting the capital's economic potential. The initiative aims to encourage longer stays by presenting the city's cultural, entertainment and hospitality offerings as interconnected attractions rather than isolated venues.
Future phases are planned to include museums, cultural institutions, event organisers, nightlife venues and retailers. PickMe indicated that this model will be extended to other destinations throughout Sri Lanka, creating a nationwide platform for connecting travellers with attractions and experiences across the country.
