JWT and Saatchi & Saatchi have been shortlisted for Egypt Tourism Authority’s global advertising account.
The review of the business began at the tail end of last year, with Egypt looking for marketing support as the country attempts to rebuild its tourism industry. The incumbent on the business is JWT.
The account is one of the biggest in Egypt and the wider Middle East, with tourism accounting for a tenth of Egypt’s total GDP prior to the revolution of January 2011. JWT has held the account since 2009, when it beat five other teams to the business, including incumbents DDB and OMD. Media is also under review, with the account currently held by Mindshare.
In July last year Egypt received one million tourists, 8.3 per cent more than the 936,000 it received the previous year, but still 300,000 less than in July 2010.