Arab Spring countries are focusing their efforts on changing international perceptions to revive tourism
Middle East: rebranding after the Arab Spring countries
The political and social unrest in the Middle East resulted in a 6.2% decline in tourism arrivals in 2011. The major challenge is how to now change perceptions of the region, but according to Euromonitor, comprehensive rebranding campaigns will yield a bounce back in travel for the Middle East — a popular region for travel from Europe. Egypt and Tunisia are placing considerable focus on rebranding exercises. Egypt’s tourism board implemented an international marketing campaign targeted at European and Middle East visitors with the tag line: Welcome to the country of the peaceful revolution. Tunisia opted for a provocative campaign targeting the UK and France: They say Tunisia is nothing but ruins which depicted ancient ruins. For Bahrain the importance of tourism revival is also stressed especially winning back the Formula One. Post-Gaddafi, Libya offers untapped potential but much of the country’s tourism infrastructure was destroyed during the war. Meanwhile, Syria’s tourism sector has been brought to a standstill while bloodshed continues. Democracy will be a key selling point in the future and despite the turmoil the region is still a key market for tourism development because of its oil wealth, high disposable income and resilience to a crisis.
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