Brand Egypt
February 2nd, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Courtesy of Jaunted.com
January was a blur of coldness, work and some play. Now that we have successfully completed my least favorite month of the year, I am back and ready to keep the conversation on place branding moving. There are so many things going on in the world right now that effectively relate to place branding, but one of the most prevalent and interesting may be the unrest in Egypt. In no way do I mean to take the focus off of the reason for the current situation in Egypt. However, I do want to study the situation under the microscope of place branding. For a country that has nearly 13 million visitors a year, the impact of this situation can reach far past the current political problems and plague Egypt for many years to come.
Egypt has always been portrayed as a world of ancient treasures and from the Valley of the Kings to the Luxor, it is a country that is steeped in history. This history, along with its many natural attractions, has been a huge factor for the success that Egypt has seen in the tourism industry. But after the recent protesting and evacuations (which affect both the locals and the tourists) I have to wonder what this means for the near future of the Egyptian place brand. In the long term I believe that Egypt tourism will remain strong—because of the country’s one-of-a-kind treasures. However, right now, especially with the weak global economic condition and the local political instability, I suspect that the Egyptian place brand will be negatively affected.
I always say that a place branding is capturing an experience. People want to go to other locations because they want to experience something that it has to offer that they do not get on a normal basis. However, among this search for different, there is always one constant that travelers—especially American travelers—expect. Safety. While many adventures offer the illusion of danger, there is usually a safety net that allows people an exit. Egypt’s safety net has a hole in it at the moment, and not all tourists are able to effectively leave the country. In addition to current tourists not being able to leave, new tourists are not able/advised to enter, creating a two way problem. As the situation plays out, we will see what it means for tourism in Egypt, and what affect it has on their national place brand (and economy). Would you travel to Egypt right now? How do the current events change your perception of brand Egypt?
