Tourism authorities and representatives of the international media gathered in Marsa Alam
last week for the 2nd UNWTO International Conference on Tourism and
the Media, organized by Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and the United Nations World
Tourism Organization.
During the first session participants
were able to attend a round-table seminar that discussed the media
responsibility beyond communicating political, financial and social changes in
these particularly difficult times. The conference was broadcast live viastreaming, as well as featuring in social media under the tag #TourismMedia.
The way information is presented by the
media can have a big impact on people’s perspectives of nations such as Egypt -
whose case in not dissimilar to Spain’s in some aspects. For the last year Egypt has been firmly
put on the map thanks to revolution which led to the removal of President HosniMubarak, and the subsequent tensions that have continued to exist. The
reporting of these events caused a strong impact on tourism, and therefore,
affected the national GDP of the country, as potential visitors were put off by
the perceived unsafety.
When prospective travelers believe a country to be unsafe due to news
reports they have read, watched, or listened to, they stop visiting. Sometimes
perceptions and reality regarding safety and security are not accurate. For
example; palm trees are perceived to be harmless, while sharks are feared by
many and believed to be dangerous. In reality, falling coconuts cause an
average of 150 human deaths every year, 30 times the number of deaths
caused by shark attacks.
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| Marsa Alam, Egypt |
In his opening speech at the conference, Mounir Fakhry Abdel-Nour,
Egypt’s tourism minister, said: “What drives tourism is the perception the
traveler has of a destination. Fair reporting of both the negative and the
positive will play a vital role in the recovery of Egyptian tourism.” Sources need to be honest, balancing both good and bad facts, instead of
highlighting just one side. Journalists should be given access to complete
information, since negative aspects won’t necessarily overshadow the stories,
but will make them more credible.
Participants at the conference looked at
how the media could support tourism in these difficult times and urged the
press to focus on how the tourism industry contributes to development. Key
facts to consider for example are that 1 in every 12 jobs in the world is
connected to tourism, and one billion tourists will travel abroad in 2012.
“Tourism has become a truly global
socio-economic phenomenon which is not yet fully reflected in the media.” Said Taleb
Rifai, UNWTO Secretary-General. He added: “We believe that to maximize the
potential of tourism as a true driver of development and wellbeing for all we
need to bring tourism administrations, the private sector and the media closer
together.”
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| Taleb Rifai, UNWTO Secretary-General, closing the Conference |
Some of the key points to emerge from
the conference were the need for tourism authorities and the media to
communicate effectively in tough times. This includes graphical storytelling,
planning the appropriate social media strategies, and establishing crisis
communication protocols. In order for international media companies to give
their audience a balanced view of events, they should reflect the local population’s
stories and testimonies, and provide greater coverage of personal cases and
day-to-day close ups.
Tourism - with special focus on
sustainability and responsibility - is now one of the most promising and viable
options for global and local development, the participants concluded. The
media is responsible for raising awareness of the importance of this industry
as a vital service sector, contributing to the economy and employment in
developed and developing countries.
As an outcome, tourism authorities and the
global media were encouraged to learn more about one another, and to work together more closely in
the future.
