Twenty-five journalists from various media houses in the port city of Kismayo have completed a three-day specialised training on travel journalism to help showcase Jubaland State as a tourism destination.
The workshop, organised by the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), in collaboration with the Jubaland Ministry of Information, Public Awareness, and Tourism aimed at equipping participants with the necessary skills to effectively report on the diverse tourist attractions in Jubaland State.
Speaking at the training, Jubaland State’s Minister of Information Suleiman Mohamed Mohamud underscored the importance of the training in promoting the region’s tourism sector.
“As journalists, it is now your responsibility to rekindle this spark by providing impartial and engaging coverage of Jubaland’s various regions, promoting them as tourism destinations,” said the Minister.
Encouraging the journalists to use the skills and knowledge gained to promote Jubaland as a tourist destination, the Minister noted that the federal state boasts some of the most spectacular sites in the Horn of Africa region.
Jubaland is one of Somalia’s federal states endowed with diverse tourist attractions, including Kismayo National Park, pristine beaches and the Ras Kamboni Reserve among others.
The journalists thanked ATMIS and the Jubaland administration for organising the training and called for similar workshops to be held in other parts of the region.
Ahmed Abdi Mohamed, a journalist from Radio Kismayo, said the training had deepened his understanding of travel journalism and its importance in publicizing Jubaland State.
“I hope that as journalists, we can play a significant role in showcasing Jubaland’s magnificent tourist attractions. Our aim is to encourage domestic and international tourists to visit and relish our rich and diverse tourism opportunities,” said Mohamed.
Hamdi Mohamed Yasin, a journalist from Radio Wamo, said she had learned a lot about responsible reporting techniques and their importance in journalism.
“We must pay close attention to our reporting techniques and effectuate the necessary changes to incentivize businesses to invest in tourism,” said Yasin. “We are eager to commence applying the knowledge acquired by producing stories that will promote Jubaland’s natural and man-made tourist destinations.”
Hanad Abdi Yusuf, a reporter at Jubaland Television, described the workshop as timely and instrumental in enhancing his ability to positively contribute to the promotion of Jubaland’s tourist destinations.
The training focused on deepening the participants’ understanding of natural and artificial tourism, the role of journalism in promoting tourism and the significance of tourism in the neighboring countries among others.
As the world prepares to celebrate World Tourism Day this month, Somalia is also rebranding itself as one of the tourist destinations in Africa.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS).
