Thursday, June 21, 2007 Industry wants media to promote tourism
WHILE tourism stakeholders acknowledge the role of media in promoting the industry, they want less gore in daily news reporting and more good news about the country.
Alice Queblatin of the Cebu Association of Tour Operators (Cato) said media has to give more prominence to news about tourism and positive developments in the country instead of putting these reports in the inside pages while gory stories occupy the front pages of newspapers.
Queblatin raised the point during a panel discussion on media and tourism, one of the events during the Cebu Business Month Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Tourism Congress last week.
Lydia Castillo, a columnist for a national daily, raised the need for media to “project a good image of the country” instead of reporting more on crime and celebrity gossip.
“What do we have to do about Ruffa (Guitierrez) and (Yilmaz) Bektas. It sells the paper but it does not sell the country or the purpose that it’s been written about,” said Castillo, one of the panelists in the tourism forum.
The recent breakup of Guittierrez, an actress, and Bektas has been widely publicized by Philippine media.
Castillo said media outlets have to make some sacrifices and help promote tourism in the country.
She said Filipino journalists should write more about positive Filipino values, tourist destinations and culture.
ABS-CBN vice president for creative communications management Robert Labayen said the television network is helping promote tourism by featuring different tourist spots in movies and programs.
Department of Tourism (DOT) 7 Director Patria Aurora Roa, for her part, said the agency will consider holding the Kapihan sa Turismo more often so the local media can get more updates on the sector. (TEP)
