Media play a vital and important role in promoting tourism, not only within the SAARC region but throughout the world as well.
Destinations are made known to tourists before they set off and known destinations are popularized among tourists by the media, Mass Media and Information Ministry Secretary W B Ganegala said. Ganegala was making the welcome speech at the SAARC seminar on `The role of media in promoting tourism for enhancing people to people contact` at the Gateway Hotel Airport Garden, Seeduwa on November 13.The speech: At the last Governing Board meeting of SAARC Information Centre held in Katmandu on December 2 and 3, 2010 it was decided that a seminar on `Role of Media in promoting tourism for enhancing people to people contact` be held in Colombo this year. "We, the Ministry of Mass Media and Information and Sri Lanka Tourism are thankful to the SAARC Information Centre for this decision and for all other follow-up activities accomplished to organize the same in liaison with the Sri Lankan authorities.I am happy to state that this decision and thus making it a reality coincide with the multifaceted Sri Lanka Tourism Drive launched under the Mahinda Chintana integrated national development plan.
It is also appropriate to have this seminar in Colombo at a time when the government had declared the year 2011 as the Tourism Year of Sri Lanka. In addition, all these events go hand in hand with the government`s initiative to offer the Asian region and the world at large, the city of Colombo including few provincial capitals as centres of excellence to conduct regional and international seminars, conferences and workshops.With this background, I suppose, it is most appropriate and advantageous to organize this seminar in Colombo this year. "Communication network has become more efficient and informative with the use of the internet and such sophisticated communication technologies. Tools of modern media and communication are complex and hence, I suppose the tourism industry faces a challenge to choose the most appropriate and fastest methods and practices in promoting tourism.
"Media can promote tourism by projecting a destination and it can also destroy a destination by negative publicity.It is only a matter of understanding the intricacies of activities and local situations and establishing an effective media programme. It is therefore, modern mass media linked up with all new technologies market the products of tourism in different potential markets. "For the purpose of marketing tourism products publicity campaign need to be organized on seasonal or most appropriately throughout the year basis. Tourism promotion depend on the numerous pathways of modern media for its sustainable development.Tourism is basically a peace time activity and, therefore, local situation in politics, weather, social activities and peace at large are important factors which affects the tourism development plans.
However, to maintain a tourist destination in the right perspective, the tourism authorities need to be in close and continuous contact with the different branches of media on a regular basis. "To discuss such issues within the SAARC region this seminar would be most effective for all the SAARC countries at this juncture. "In this context we feel happy to have organized this meeting for the mutual benefit of our countries.Ministers, I know how you rescheduled your pre-arranged programmes lined up for today in your electorates, hundreds of kms away from here. "We along with our foreign distinguished participants and the Director-General of SIC Lakshmi Billaj Koirala are privileged to have your presence here today and on behalf of the Mass Media and Information Ministry I respectfully welcome you to this seminar.
"Director-General / SIC Lakshmi Billaj Koirala, I can imagine how much effort you have made to make this event a success during the last few weeks. Without your assistance we would not have organized this in Colombo.
