Africa needs media in tourism development

By Apolinari Tairo

The African continent has been left behind in global tourism and travel map. Media experts see the growing gap between the media and travel trade stakeholders as a blocking factor ahead the continents poor performance in tourism as the image of this fast growing destination remains bad before key tourist sources in the United States and Europe.

KAMPALA, Uganda (eTN) - Tourism and media experts from Africa said in their resolutions at the end of the five-day International Institute for Peace through Tourism (IIPT) conference held here in the Ugandan capital of Kampala that the African continent needs local and global media outlets in supporting its tourism development.

Concluding a hot debate on the role of media in supporting African tourism development, senior journalists, editors and specialized media experts said Africa lacked proper reporting on its rich tourist products.

They said Africa needs a well coordinated private and public partnership with local media houses in complimenting tourist development strategies in each country or a region.

Ugandan journalists raised their deep concern over the poor relationship between government tourist officials or tourism departments and the local media, similarly private tourist business practitioners.

“Few journalists get abreast with tourism development issues taking place in Uganda unless when a public figure wants to speak on the side of government plan on tourism marketing or a new project,” said Tegule Gawaya from Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBS) Television.

He said most journalists in that part of Africa see no value to write tourist news and features because they are not well informed on tourism strategies and plans ahead in supporting the people and their country’s economy.

A panel of African journalists attending the just-ended 4th IIPT expressed concern over the poor coverage of the continent’s rich tourism due to lack of updated information and a coordinated linkage between key players in travel trade.

It was observed that Africa needs to take advantage of the internet in marketing its tourism products.

Printable Version | published May 29, 2007

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