Egypt and CNN are beginning an expanded partnership on a worldwide extended tourism campaign established in May that exhibits contemporary Egypt across an innovative mix of TV, digital and social media platforms. In an official press release Tuesday, CNN said the fresh partnership between Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and CNN International Commercial (CNNIC) will witness both sides working collaboratively for the global campaign to enrapture and excite Egypt's key audiences worldwide. According to the statement, the objective of the deal comes under Egypt's plan to accelerate its tourism growth through showcasing the beauty of the country and its diverse destinations and the warmth hospitality of its people to CNN's global audience. The partnership comes under Egyptian Minister of Tourism Rania Al-Mashat's vision of developing sustainable tourism and aiding Egypt in bolstering its tourism industry under the Egypt-Tourism Reform Programme (E-TRP). The partnership comes as Egypt preps for the hosting of Africa Cup of Nations this summer, and ahead of the inauguration of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) in 2020. ""The diversification of marketing and media platforms, a key pillar of the Egypt-Tourism Reform Programme, contributes to the changing narrative of the sector. The combined appeal of the beauty of Egypt and warmth of our people is the foundation of the significant growth in our country's tourism," El-Mashat said. Vice president of CNN International Commercial Cathy Ibal said: "This new partnership takes our nation branding work with Egypt's Ministry of Tourism to a new level by leveraging the cumulative impact of all CNN platforms, content and technology to ensure that the beauty of Egypt and its people resonates deeply with the right audiences." Advertising will be placed adjacent to relevant content such as CNN Travel on digital platforms, using first-party data to reach specific segments and engage with CNN's audiences showing interest in editorial content about Egypt, according to the statement. Egypt has been working on boosting its tourism industry, which suffered major blows following the 2011 revolution and later political and economic instability. In March, El-Mashat said that the tourism sector's growth rate rapidly increased, recording 16.5 percent, which exceeds the international average. Source: Ahram Online
