I was reading The Economist recently and they had the story of Abdi Jimale Osman, Somalia’s minister of tourism. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you look at it, Somalia hasn’t had a tourist in 14 years. One of the few hotels in Mogadishu recommends that visitors hire at least 10 armed guards to escort them from the airport to the hotel. But Mr. Osman is optimistic:
“I’m sure tourist would leave Somalia alive and I’m hopeful they wouldn’t be kidnapped. At least, we would try to make sure they were not kidnapped, although it can happen.”
I’m not marketing guy but I was thinking that maybe a new tagline like the following might make Mr. Osman’s job a little easier:
“Visit Somalia: We’re hopeful you won’t be kidnapped.”