Expert urges Sudan to promote its tourism potential

Sudan enjoys a variety of different climates, cultural attractions, natural environments, and people who are warm and welcoming, which should attract tourists, says tourism expert and researcher El Muiz Maher Ahmed.

Speaking recently on the daily programme Milafaat Sudania on Radio Dabanga, Ahmed said that Sudan is failing to exploit its tourism potential by promoting the country abroad and setting up tourism infrastructure in the states.

“There is an incipient element of tourism in cities such as Khartoum, Port Sudan, and others, but tourism in the states needs greater support,” he said. “More tourists coming to Sudan will encourage investment in tourism.”

El Muiz stressed the importance of promoting tourism saying this task should be taken by companies, individuals, the media and by relevant authorities such as the Ministry of Tourism and Culture. The expert pointed out that negative media portrayals of Sudan and the ongoing conflicts in some areas may also have affected tourism in Sudan negatively.

“The media did not address the positive side of Sudan, not even at the level of the local media, they did not talk about stability in the country and as such all people started to think that the war is in the whole country,” he said.

He also highlighted the lack of tourism colleges saying that the existing two faculties of tourism and other new ones need to become the backbone for creating opportunities for development of tourism in Sudan. “There is a need for colleges and institutes to teach tourism, capacity building and lay the ground for development in tourism.”

Finally, the tourism expert called on the government to promote tourism in Sudan by establishing a website to provide information for tourists about the tourism potential of the country.

(Source: Radio Tamazuj)