A recent study has shown Egypt as the Country Brand for History. It is important for Egypt because as Rina Plapler, Executive Director for FutureBrand claims: “A strong brand presents enormous business opportunities as it helps build investor confidence...” Egypt has successfully advertised its ancient sites and mystical structures, which makes the country really a paradise for history lovers. Along with the United Arab Emirates, Egypt is the only country from the Middle East and North Africa region that managed to get into the index. These two countries are the regions strongest brands and this will help them draw the attention of the global market. The UAE topped the Best Country Brand for Resort/Lodging Options category and it was second in the category Best Country Brand for Shopping. It is also among the top five countries in the category Best Country Brand for Conferences.
The study was conducted by FutureBrand, a leading global brand consultancy, in cooperation with public relations firm Weber Shandwick’s Global Travel & Lifestyle Practice. The document informs about trends, travel motivations as well as it includes rankings. Based on their survey they have created the Country Brand Index (CBI). There were some 2,600 international travelers participating in the study.
The top ten countries for the year 2007 were:
- AustraliaUnited StatesUnited KingdomFrance ItalyCanadaSpainNew ZealandGreeceJapan
The study has also identified “Rising Stars”, countries, which are likely to become major tourist destination in the upcoming years. The top three countries in this category were Croatia, China and the United Arab Emirates respectively. The study includes number of categories. For example, the US is considered the best country where one can perform a business activity or make a conference. New Zealand is the winner in the category Safety – it is the most stable and secure.
