By: Lamiaa Kamel “This is the best trip ever; Egypt is more beautiful than what we think,” says Will Smith, Hollywood American actor, during his visit in Egypt along with his family. Smith’s spontaneous statement has been a strong message to promote tourism in Egypt unlike failed trials to compel Messi to show love and admiration for Egypt, as part of the medical tourism campaign aimed at promoting awareness of Hepatitis C. In my opinion, Messi’s visit has been nothing but pure propaganda for the sponsoring company, which benefits no one including the involved ministries. On the other hand, Smith’s joyful touristic experience has sent more credible messages to the world promoting tourism in Egypt. Although Messi has a strong and solid fan base in Egypt, his visit did not receive the same welcome from the people as Will Smith’s. Messi’s visit has been criticised for being unorganised and chaotic, which fails to achieve the purpose of Tour n’ cure to promote tourism in Egypt. Moreover, this comparison shows the success of Smith’s visit for many reasons: First, the tense and unjustified security presence in Messi’s visit gives a false…
Celebrity Visits Create a Shift in the Equilibrium of Egyptian Tourism
March 17, 2017
