Countries involved in the Arab Spring have been plagued by images of rebellion, violence and upheaval. But now some of them are looking to bounce back as top tourist hotspots by launching new campaigns.Egypt and Tunisia, both relatively early members of the movement, have started promotional campaigns that emphasise their potential as safe and attractive holiday destinations.
"Welcome to the country of peaceful revolution’ is the slogan that Egypt has settled on after experiencing massive protests and demonstrations against former president Hosni Mubarak in early 2011, which led to his ousting.The campaigns have been included in a global trends report by market analyst Euromonitor International as part of the World Travel Market (WTM) opening today in London.
WTM chairman Fiona Jeffery said: ‘The speed at which the marketing campaigns have been launched demonstrates the importance the new democracies in Egypt and Tunisia have put on inbound tourism for their long-term economic future. ‘Tourism can help build up these countries’ new democracies and has the potential to do so across all the Arab Spring countries.’Another set of countries known as the SLIMMAs – otherwise referred to as Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico and Argentina – were named by the WTM 2011 Industry Report as potential up-and-coming holiday spots of the future.Investments in ‘infrastructure and natural beauty’ mean this group of countries may rival Brazil, Russia, India and China – or the BRICs – as top tourist destinations.
Indonesia was praised for its unspoilt islands, while Sri Lanka’s infrastructural upgrades may lead more tourists to explore the Asian country following the end of its civil war.
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