Ethiopia: Lack of Integrated Association Cause to Inadequate Tourism Media Coverage

Due to a lack of an integrated association among journalists who are working in the field of tourism, media coverage on tourism and culture has been undermined while journalists working in the area have been unable to participate and share experience at international tourism and media conferences, said the Ethiopian Culture and Tourism Journalists Association.

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

May 21, 2021