social media
Japanese authorities now want to tap this soft power for tourism, amid an ambitious drive by the Abe administration to double burgeoning foreign tourist arrivals to 40 million by 2020. [...] The association, working with industry members and local governments, wants to create a whole suite of services and products, from shuttle buses to merchandising, to boost the experience for visitors - and bring in the yen.
![Photo by Pixabay](https://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/sites/default/files/styles/275x168/public/uploads/25NovemberTWiPD.jpg?itok=bbvVPu0B)
Facebook's new safety tools and a recently launched BBC program are featured in this week's roundup
External Affairs Ministry has emerged as one of the top central ministries to effectively use the social media with its Twitter handle @MEAIndia crossing one million followers. "Marking a #digitaldiplomacy milestone with 1,000,000+ followers! Hope to continue to serve & inform in the best traditions of the MEA," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Vikas Swarup, who runs the handle, tweeted.
In October, the world was listening to a very important story, one that the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs shares every day: the story of how empowering women and girls through educational and professional opportunities changes lives and communities.
A decade ago, NATO’s Public Diplomacy Division and its stakeholders stared blankly at the skyrocketing evolution of social media. Facebook, LinkedIn, Flickr, Twitter—just to name a few—were new phenomena which at first seemed to attract young people, but had no place in a serious international organization that dealt with high-level political topics, let alone security and defense.
![Photo reprinted courtesy of Geralt via Pixabay Mobile Phones, by Geralt](https://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/sites/default/files/styles/275x168/public/uploads/mobile-phone-426559_1920_0.jpg?itok=6oJ5tPkD)
The organization has come a long way in terms of digital communications strategy.