Tourism professionals, journalists, media and communication specialists were drawn from 20 countries in the Africa region to attend the first United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Communication, Media and Tourism Training recently in Victoria Falls Zimbabwe.
The workshop, which was organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) focused on the opportunities for placing tourism in the mainstream conversation as well as the ongoing challenges facing communities, destinations and Africa as a region.
The three-day event highlighted effective communication campaigns and innovative marketing as strategies to shift persistent perceptual barriers and stereotypes that prevent the Africa tourism sector from fully unlocking its potential.
The workshop also harped on the need to build a new storytelling that showcases Africa’s unique beauties and tourism attractions with the ultimate goal of promoting the continent as a top destination worldwide.
High-level international experts from across the media spectrum and top content creators guided the conversations of the intensive training programme, and delivered to the delegates meaningful tools to strengthen their communication and media literacy skills with a view to better promoting and branding their destinations through harnessing the use of digital and social media platforms.
The participants had the opportunity to combine the theoretical approach of the discussions with group work activities involving case studies and field trips focused on highlighting the importance of culture, heritage, wildlife conservation and communities for the sustainable development of tourism.
