Vice President, Dr Mohammed Gharib Bilal
Dr Bilal made the remarks while addressing the 21st annual general meeting of the Southern African Broadcasting Association (SABA) in Arusha.
The four-day meeting involved TV and Radio broadcasters, media organizations, media experts, tour operators, conservators and journalists from 14 SADC member countries.
Bilal urged the media to come up with innovative approaches, which would make the available regional tourist destinations easily known outside the regional boundaries.
"We haven't done much on promoting tourist attractions available in our countries. Media should come up with new approaches that would make our tourist destinations known in and outside the world," the Tanzanian leader told the gathering.
He said the media in the region should take the task of promoting tourist destinations as their priorities and shouldn't leave the task to the western media, who have their own agenda.
"Our media should change their way of doing things, by ensuring all tourist attractions are given equal weight as it is to the wildlife sector," he said.
"I am aware of challenges related to poaching, but still broadcasters have a big role to play in ensuring that natural resources available in the region are conserved for tourism and other uses," he said, urging journalists to chip in campaigning against poaching.
Allan Kijazi, director general of Tanzania National Park (TNP), said the media have an imperative role to play in promoting regional tourist destinations, hence they need to work hard to realize the desired dream of the economic group.
He said there are a number of tourist destinations available in the region which are yet to be tapped.
He also called on media practitioners in SADC countries and the rest of the world to work closely with TNP in promoting tourist destinations.
SOURCE:
THE GUARDIAN
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