The Practices and Challenges of Public Relations on Marketing and Promoting Tourist Destination Sites in the case of ANRS Cultural and Tourism Bureau
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Date
2011-05
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The main objective of the study is to examine the practices and challenges of public relations on
marketing and promoting tourist destination sites in the region in the case of ANRS Cultural and Tourism
Bureau. Most importantly, it examine the major public relations activities practiced in the bureau on
marketing and promoting tourist destination sites in the regions, the roles of public relations practitioners
do bureau on marketing and promoting tourist destination sites, and the challenges of public relations on
marketing and promoting tourist destination sites in the region. The study used both qualitative as well as
quantitative method, and the data collected through questionnaire and interview. Then, the quantitative
data was analyzed comparing the mean with the expected mean and one-sample t-test, and the interview
data also analyzed through word description. Finally, the study found out that there was practice of
public relation in tourism bureau especially on marketing and promoting tourist destination sites in
Amhara region. There was different communication tools in order to marketing and promoting tourist
destination sites such as TV program, radio, prints, You Tube and others though the effort that was made
in Gonder city by far than Bahir Dar city because Gonder city’s promote tourist destination sites through
BBC and CNN. Besides, there were executive and technician roles of public relations in their bureau on
marketing and promoting tourist destination sites though their effort was not found to be significant.
However, most of the interviews indicated that the public relation officers were assigned without their
profession and they did not have managerial role in the bureau, so they are working as technician. In
addition, there were challenges of public relations on marketing and promoting tourist destination sites.
These can be lack of understanding among the staff (i.e. both top managements and staffs), lack of
equipments and resources, and others. Hence, we can assume that the public relation practitioners’ had
faced challenges that affect marketing and promoting of tourist destination sites in the region. Finally,
possible recommendation forwarded.
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Journalisme