Ethiopian Culture and Tourism Journalists
Association President Henok Seyum told The Ethiopian Herald, Over 15 years,
journalists have been working in a fragmented way on tourism and culture
issues. Annually, the World Tourism Organization holds tourism and media
conferences. At the conference, Ethiopia had an opportunity to participate the
tourism conference only once in such meeting due to lack of organized
structure, the opportunity was missed.
Additional problem is that tourism
journalism is not being specialized in Ethiopia forcing them to work in a
fragmented manner. "The Ethiopian Culture and Tourism Journalists
Association was established in February this year after our long-running
question was addressed, he said."
The main purpose of the association is to
increase the number of journalists working in the tourism and culture sector,
to increase the capacity and knowledge of journalists and produce journalists
who can work in the tourism and culture industry in different languages as
Ethiopia is multi-lingual.
The other one is tourism by its nature
needs media partnership. Because the community awareness about tourism sector
is inadequate, therefore the media should work for the country in the tourism
sector in order to increase the awareness. It helps citizens to preserve,
identify and develop their heritage, he noted.
As to him, the association will work with
the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Tourism Ethiopia, the Wild Animal
Development and Conservation Authority, the Great Ethiopian Tourists
Association, the Ethiopian Tourism Professionals Association and other
tourism-related actors.
BY ESSEYE MENGISTE