The Uganda Tourism Board has taken the initiative to empower journalists with the skills to effectively convey knowledge, information, and value through their articles, thereby contributing to the transformation of the country’s tourism industry.
During the opening ceremony of a four-day Media Transformation Workshop held at Cephas Inn Hotel in Kabale Municipality, journalists from the Western and Central Buganda region gathered to learn how to report on and promote the tourism industry. Mr. Gessa Simplicious, the spokesperson of the Uganda Tourism Board, emphasized the importance of the workshop in setting a high standard for storytelling and equipping journalists with the tools to enhance their work.
Highlighting the significance of the workshop, Simplicious addressed the existing gap in tourism reporting, particularly in terms of practical, hands-on information. He expressed the workshop’s goal of fostering holistic marketing strategies within the tourism sector to ensure comprehensive coverage and promotion.
The facilitator for the first day, John Baptist Imokola, an experienced journalist and teaching assistant in the Department of Journalism and Communication at Makerere University, highlighted the importance of humanizing tourism stories and promoting sustainability in the field.
Imokola stressed the significance of journalists providing valuable information about tourist destinations, captivating events, and essential travel services. By doing so, they would not only contribute to the growth of the tourism sector in the country but also create an engaging narrative for their audience.
In the realm of image building, Emokola emphasized the crucial role that journalists play in shaping the perception of a particular designation. He asserts that journalists should actively contribute to the process of building a positive image.
According to Emokola, positive media coverage possesses the power to greatly enhance the reputation and appeal of a place, thereby making it significantly more attractive to tourists.