Nations are brands because people perceive them as brands. Few Ghanaians have time to learn what most countries are really like, so we navigate through the complexity of the modern world armed with a few simple clichés about places. The writer wants to know: What about Ghana? What are we going to use as a brand to attract people from outside Ghana?

A conference on public diplomacy has heard that Australia needs to do more to promote an international image that moves beyond narrow stereotypes. Opposition senator Russell Trood says the Department of Foreign Affairs lacks a coherent strategy to influence how Australia's seen by the rest of the world.

Australia will launch a new initiative to attract more visitors from China, as tourists from the U.S. and Japan stay put in the face of uncertain economies and the strong Aussie dollar. The campaign will focus on collecting research on China's emerging middle class and its main cities.

Obama's morale-boosting stop-off, together with Queen Elizabeth's historic state visit just days earlier, have given Irish tourism a boost it desperately needed after three years of recession saw revenues and visitors drop by about a third.

Korea, China and Japan will establish tourism routes linking the countries, as agreed in a trilateral tourism ministers' meeting. They also agreed to cooperate in minimizing the effects of natural disasters and terrorism, and develop a crisis management manual and tourism promotion programs.

South Africa has been awarded the title of most valuable nation brand on the continent, with its recent inclusion in the BRICS grouping and successful hosting of the 2010 Fifa World Cup contributing to strong positive perceptions both locally and abroad.

The tombs of seven men, including several who served King Tutankhamen and his father, the pharaoh Akhenaten, were opened to tourists yesterday after restoration, to draw more visitors to the site in South Saqqara which is better known for its pyramids.

The Tourism Ministry will spend RM1.8mil on social media branding to woo young tourists. Its Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen said the move was part of the ministry’s transformation programme and would mark the first time that social media was used as a branding tool.