Nigerian Capital to Welcome African Tourism Communicators
MADRID, Spain June 14, 2005. The Nigerian capital Abuja will welcome the International Conference on Tourism Communications (TOURCOM) for Africa end of July. The event is organized by the World Tourism Organization in cooperation with the Federal Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and will be held at the Abuja International Conference Centre Abuja, Nigeria on 28 and 29 July 2005.
The principal objective of the event is to bring together tourism decision-makers, tourism communicators from public and private sectors and media representatives to look at how improved communications can help pave the way for a brighter future for tourism in Africa. "Our main target groups are national tourism administrations' officials responsible for public relations, public affairs, branding, advertising, their colleagues from the private sector and tourism and business journalists," said WTO Chief of Communications Rok Klancnik.
More than twenty speakers from various parts of the world will share their rich experiences in partnership between the private/public sectors and the news media, increasing efficiency in media relations, public relations, e-communications, crisis communications, advertising, sustainable tourism communications, cross-cultural communications, branding, advertising, public affairs etc. Although the Conference will mainly address the communications issues that are important for Africa, its findings will be of much broader importance.
Speakers will include African ministers for tourism, prominent communicators from the private sector and the media. After four years of perpetual crises, crisis communications and travel advisories will have a special place in the conference programme, while particular attention will be given to issues, such as branding, domestic awareness campaigns and cross-cultural communications.
Participants will learn about international trends, best experiences, mistakes to be avoided, and priorities on which to focus. Government and industry representatives from all participating countries will be invited to share their own views, experiences and plans regarding quality objectives and management in tourism communications. The TOURCOM Conference permits the inclusion of questions and answers on existing tools and imported case studies, and workshops on regional issues.
TOURCOM for Africa follows a successful similar event held from 20-21 May in Bali, Indonesia. In 2005, the WTO plans to stage communications conferences also in Amman, Jordan and Riga, Latvia.
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