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Science and technology
Although relatively few agencies have invested in it, the widespread 
knowledge of a country’s advanced level of science and technology can 
have a very positive impact on a country’s image. A recent example was 
the British pavilion at the Shanghai Expo in 2010, a six- month trade fair 
on which China spent twice as much as it did on the Beijing Olympics. 
A total of 45,000 people a day visited the British pavilion, where over 140 
trade and investment- related events were staged. The British Council also 
put on daily programmes of entertainment throughout the duration of 
the Expo.
 Non- governmental organizations
An example of the use of NGOs in the furtherance of cultural diplomacy is 
Médecins sans Frontières, an international medical support NGO which was 
originally founded by a group of French doctors in 1971 after the Biafran 
War in Nigeria. It is now a completely international organization, but its very 
name gives influence to its founder, France. International technical aid given 
to LDCs by NGOs to help improve their harvest, irrigation, medical support 
and many charitable activities are other examples, as is the highly publicized 
collabo ration between astronauts on Russian and US space missions.
Tourism
Tourism promotion is another area which helps to raise a country’s profile. 
It is primarily aimed at increasing the number of people visiting the country. 
It can also contribute to the overall attraction of a country by presenting 
images such as its landscape, historic cities and culture, as well as its arts 
and its people. It is controlled by national agencies who are able to build the 
image of the projected country.
Below are some examples of slogans coined to encourage tourism in 
certain countries.
‘Incredible India’
‘Smile, you’re in Spain’
‘Malaysia, truly Asia’
‘Island of Aphrodite’ – Cyprus
‘Tranquil land of smiles’ – Thailand
‘This is the heart of Africa’ – Nigeria
Figure 12.2 Building national images
After the Cold War, the USA promoted ‘Good Tourism’ among its citizens 
to encourage them to visit the former Iron Curtain countries in order to 
establish an image of the friendly American.

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Cultural Diplomacy and Nation Branding 231