Countries often tend to focus on international tourism due to the revenue earned through exports. However, domestic tourism remains the leading form of tourism, representing an important tool for regional economic growth and development.
With over 50 percent of the global population now categorized as “middle class” or “rich”, more and more people can afford to travel. An increasing number of households in emerging economies, which are approaching or have already reached these thresholds, including in China and India, are likely to contribute to sustained growth in domestic travel spending.
In effect, in the next ten years an additional 65 million Chinese and 9 million Indians will enter the middle class, according to World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).
Absolute size of travel and tourism’s domestic spending in 2017, domestic tourism represented 73 percent of the total global tourism spend 3,971 billion USD. While there are significant variations between countries, domestic contributions to travel and tourism reached 94 percent in Brazil and 87 percent in India with China accounting for 62 percent of global absolute growth in domestic spending over the past ten years as to the WTTC.
Over the last decade, the Chinese government has been a staunch supporter of domestic tourism, investing in the development of a rail network and air infrastructure to accommodate the expansion of low-cost carriers in second and third-tier cities.
This has improved transportation connectivity and reinforced tourism development in less visited areas. China is expected to remain the leader in domestic tourism, continuing to widen its lead with the USA by 2028.
As well, Germany ranked third in domestic spending in 2017 with 340 billion USD, nearly double the amount of India and Japan, which came fourth and fifth with 186 USD and 183 USD billion respectively.
It is also worth noting the rapid development of the domestic travel and tourism market in India, which grew by 83 billion USD and rose from the eighth to the fourth largest domestic market between 2008 and 2017. Unsurprisingly, the largest developed countries dominate the top spots in terms of absolute size of domestic spending.
Similarly, Ethiopia is becoming among the highly economic beneficiaries of domestic travel and tourism.
Remarkably, Ethiopia’s development of the tourism and travel economy during the prior year was the pick of the world by dominating the world’s average growth rate of 3.9 percent on the sector.
Ethiopia’s tourism and travel economy grew by 48.6 percent that enabled the nation to secure 7.4 billion USD in the year 2018 from international tourists, according to World Travel and Tourism Council report.
This was mainly motivated by the country’s potential of tourist attraction for international visitors since Ethiopia is hub to regional transportation.
Ethiopia’s cultural, natural and historical heterogeneity makes the potential of pulling tourist inflow tremendously high. But, low infrastructure, negative publicity, lack of effort on the sector and less attention to visit tourist destinations keeps the industry untapped yet.
Even Ethiopia is one of the highest scorers on the tourism development though has not utilized much of its potential on domestic tourism.
Ministry of Culture and Tourism mentions several reasons for the inefficiency of the sector. Unrests which had been throughout the country were among the main causes of decrease in the number of local tourists. Though efforts have also been started to spur tourism inflow, domestic tourism has not yet got enough attention.
Infrastructural developments, hotel industry expansion, cooperation of stalk holders and tourism related activities are given attention especially for international tourists.
Beyond this, public mobilization conferences are also being held to restore the prior year’s inflow. The ministry is working to advance tourist attractions and enhancing relevant service providers to allure tourism economy, as to Tariku Negash, Public and International Relations Directorate Acting Director.
He mentions that over 23 million local tourists have traveled throughout the country though the revenue is not calculated well.
Likewise, regarding the recent festivals of Ashenda, Ashendiye, Solel and Shadey, President Sahlework Zewde said that the festivals enhance economic development of the nation beside their cultural and historical values. “They allure tourists’ inflow and are worth if registered by the UNISCO to attract more tourists beyond the locals.”
Accordingly, the extensive activities are underway to promote the festival and inscribe it as world wonder, she remarked.
Dr. Hirut Kasaw, Minister of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism also remarked that Ethiopia’s potential of tourism sector and its performance is not much allied. It needs to be enhanced via coordinated effort to boom income. Recently, local tourists are motivated to explore their own country traditions, natural and historical tourist destinations.
She reminds that Ethiopia has a potential of securing more income from the tourism sector by sustaining and strengthening public festivals as well. Investors, associations, governmental sectors and experts should strive cooperatively. “Ethiopia has untapped potential of cultural historical and natural assets which can recover economic poverty.”
She also notes that festivals are among the main source of tourism economy thus all stakeholders must cooperate to utilize the potential.
Therefore, to be fully benefited in economic development from the tourism potential, Ethiopia needs to facilitate and enhance domestic tour and travel.
The Ethiopian Herald August 30, 2019
BY YESUF ENDRIS
