Team
Kevin DeWar, Mohamed Elattar and Thomas Hanna
The Challenge
Egypt has experienced a significant downturn in tourism over the last 6 years. It has lost over 20 million tourists through 2015 and, in addition, there are persisting negative perceptions of Egypt in the West that continue to limit the amount of people willing to visit the country. The project When in Egypt aims to utilize rideshare advertising and travel bloggers to highlight Egypt’s safety, showcase Egypt’s destinations and highlight the stability of Egypt’s government.
Project Overview
The aim is to publish videos of Western travel bloggers who move through Egypt using rideshare vehicles, as a platform to combat many of the negative stereotypes of Egypt that persist in the West.
The project will focus on travel bloggers so as to take advantage of their wave of followers, to promote Egypt as a desired tourist destination. Bloggers will focus on cuisine, art, nightlife and fashion, and each blogger will be connected with a relevant Egyptian organization, to encourage long-term continued engagement between the blogger, the organization and their respective followers.
This project believes the only way to reverse the downward trend in tourism in Egypt is to overcome Americans’ fear for safety in Egypt, by educating them on Egypt’s political stability and accommodating laws. The videos will be advertised in rideshare vehicles like Uber and Lyft because airports and local tourist destinations are among their most frequently visited destinations. In addition, rideshare passengers are a captive audience, allowing Egypt to be highlighted in a setting where information can be more readily absorbed, making rideshare passengers the perfect audience.
The Goals
- Boost trade and tourism
- Fight stereotypes of Egypt
- Increase cultural understanding
- Highlight unique aspects of Egypt’s culture
- Advertise multiple Egyptian destinations
- Reach over 2 million Americans
Population Served
When in Egypt’s videos aim to be seen by 2 million rideshare passengers in the United States.
Project Milestones
Phase 1 Weeks 1-7:
- Create promotional materials to recruit travel bloggers
- Begin outreach to famous travel bloggers and select Westerners
- Reach out to potential sponsors
Phase 2 Weeks 8-11:
- Pitch potential videos to sponsors and confirm creative direction
- Confirm blogger timelines
Phase 3 Weeks 12-28:
- Initiate blogger visits and begin shooting
- Connect bloggers with local organizations for continued engagement
- Initiate video post-production and revision process
Phase 4 Weeks 29+:
- Initiate rideshare advertisement campaign in the United States
Expected Outcome
The campaign aims to be seen by over 2 million U.S. citizens and it will play a large role in boosting Egyptian tourism to pre-2010 levels. By choosing bloggers specializing in cuisine, art, fashion and nightlife, the project hopes to position Egypt’s image as a key player in each of those areas.
Furthering the Foundation’s Mission
‘When in Egypt’ will further the Foundation’s mission of bridging the gap between the East and West by encouraging Westerners to re-engage with Egypt. The project will demystify the already clouded view of Egypt, encourage increased dialogue and promote cultural understanding.