ADDIS ABABA -The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) emphasized the need for infrastructure development and the removal of restrictive visa policies among member states to unlock the region’s untapped tourism potential.
Speaking to journalists, IGAD Secretary General Workneh Gebeyehu (PhD) highlighted tourism as a vital tool for fostering communication and resolving conflicts, contributing to peace in the region. He stressed that the region lacks adequate connectivity, with gaps in road, railway, and air transport.
“IGAD will collaborate with international donors to secure investment for much-needed infrastructure development,” Worknehsaid. To make the region’s newly launched 10-Year Tourism Master Plan effective, member states must expand transportation networks and improve connectivity, even though this demands significant investment.
The region boasts enormous and unexploited tourism potential, but barriers such as inconsistent national policies, information gaps, restrictive visas, inadequate infrastructure, and climate change continue to hinder its sustainability. The secretary general added that countries in the IGAD region have valuable tourism experiences to share and domestic tourism must be promoted alongside international tourism.
Recently, IGAD ministers and tourism officials endorsed the IGAD Sustainable Tourism Master Plan (2024-2034), aimed at unifying fragmented efforts across member countries. The plan will mitigate policy hurdles, enhance information sharing, and introduce a unified IGAD visa to promote free movement for business and tourism.
“This master plan is a major milestone and marks the beginning of a transformative decade for sustainable tourism, fostering collaboration, innovation, and resilience across the region,” Worknehstressed.
One of the major outcomes of the newly launched master plan is bringing IGAD member states in one roundtable to discuss either the region’s tourism or other pressing issues.
The plan is expected to position the IGAD region as a globally competitive, integrated tourism destination, promoting socio-economic growth, poverty reduction, and integration. In 2023 alone, IGAD member states welcomed over 10 million international tourists, showcasing the growing global interest in the region’s rich heritage, culture, nature, and history, the secretary general remarked.
BY MISGANAWASNAKE
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SATURDAY 21 SEPTEMBER 2024
