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MOSTAR, September 19 (FENA) – Representatives of news agencies discussed today the importance of quality and consistent promotion of tourism in the media at the first panel of the conference "Media and Tourism," organized by the Federal News Agency (FENA) and the Tourism Board of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton (HNC).
The panel "The Role of Media in Popularizing Tourist Destinations" was moderated by Dejan Jazvić, the Editor-in-Chief of the Federal News Agency (FENA). The participants of the panel were Elmir Huremović, Director of FENA; Branka Vojvodić, Director of the Croatian News Agency (HINA); Alex Giboi, Secretary General of the European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA); and Rodolfo Cardarelli, Deputy Director for International Affairs of the Italian news agency ANSA.
In his opening remarks, FENA's Director Elmir Huremović emphasized the important role of the media in publishing credible stories and promoting truthful information about tourist destinations.
"Media can do a lot to promote tourism and destinations in Bosnia and Herzegovina. FENA will gladly be the driving force for publishing such content to engage other media as well. We will continue to promote and support the development of tourism and do as much as possible," Huremović stated.
He called on tourism professionals and agencies to enhance collaboration with the media to work together in promoting domestic destinations.
Branka Vojvodić, Director of HINA, highlighted that Croatia already holds a commendable position on the tourism map, but also warned of challenges due to excessive dependence on tourism.
"Tourism brings many benefits but also challenges," Vojvodić said, emphasizing that HINA publishes a large number of news stories about tourism, approximately a thousand annually, and called for responsible reporting that highlights the true values of the tourism offer.
Alex Giboi, Secretary General of EANA, shared insights on how the media can play a key role in promoting tourism through credible reporting.
"Promoting tourism must be based on reliable information," he noted, citing examples from Romania, where collaboration with non-governmental organizations and cultural institutions was crucial for tourism promotion.
He also mentioned that the Romanian news agency produced a video documentary in partnership with an Irish tourist who traveled through Romania, promoting and exploring the country.
"In the end, he decided to stay and live in Romania. That three-part documentary has 2.6 million views on YouTube. This not only promoted our own content but also created benefits for our country. Ultimately, it all depends on you. It’s important to focus on positive outcomes," Giboi stated.
Rodolfo Cardarelli from ANSA talked about the specifics of the Italian tourism sector, emphasizing that the media in Italy competes for the attention of tourists and promotes tourism as a commodity. He added that Italy is a unique country regarding tourism, which constitutes a significant part of its international reputation. Many may not say that Italy manages its steel factories well, but the country is almost always associated with food, fashion, and tourism.
"We therefore have a sort of commodity exchange. We organize events, invite journalists, fund the event, and then we can be sure to receive positive reports about tourism in our country," Cardarelli explained.
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