It’s a new twist in the practice of “nation branding,” which has floated ever higher on the radars of governments around the world in recent years. For decades – even before they thought of themselves as brands – nations have sent ambassadors, artists, and academics abroad to be their public face.

Christians are a tiny minority in Israel and the Palestinian Territories. However, in Israel, there's a concerted effort to get more Christian tourists to visit the Holy Land and visit the churches, and shrines that dot Israel and the West Bank. They're hoping to make each tourist a sort of ambassador of Israel.

According to America's Voices in Israel, an organization that aims to bolster Israel’s image in the U.S., the goal of such trip is to allow guests, whether pastors or celebrities, to use their respective platforms – from pulpits to social media – to share their experiences in the land and to engender positive feelings and, ultimately, visits to Israel by their followers.

A growing tourism sector also contributes to creation of better awareness about the country in the world and helps enhance the country’s soft power.

Brand strategist Peter Economides knows about taking brands at their lowest ebb and turning them into world-beaters. He was part of the team that helped create Apple’s “Think Different” campaign in 1997. ....Economides believes that Greece is at the point where an inspired and properly managed rebranding campaign could turn it into the “Apple of the Mediterranean.”

It being Hawaii, the assembled heads of state were understandably looking forward to some boxy aloha shirt action. But Obama...declared the 20-year tradition over. As disappointed locals have been keen to stress, the colourful shirts are a symbol of Hawaii's multicultural history and it would have been great for tourism on a group of islands that rely heavily on it.

The progressive utilization of this kind of soft power...will be a fast track pass to engage with masses of young people all over the world based upon what they are truly interested in.Governmental cultural diplomacy can sometimes come off as forced or out-of-touch, but K-pop is an authentic reflection and spectacle of youth culture that is impressively close to the pulse of the "global cool."

"Emphasis is to increase the leisure market and position Rwanda as a major leisure destination. We have done a good job in branding Rwanda as a safe destination, so now we need to talk more about leisure," observed Rica Rwigamba, the Head of Tourism and Conservation at RDB.