Abate Digga
A new initiative project called Africa Tourism Olympiad (ATO) that aims at promoting Africa’s tourism, is due to be launched the coming September 2019 here in Ethiopia. The initiative, which is the first of its kind, is expected to bring together experts and actors on the tourism sector from all over the continent to display their nations’ cultural and other heritages on the three days event as they also discuss current status and the future prospects of this untapped smokeless industry.
Abate Digga is one of the founders of the initiative and Managing Director at the ATO Project Office. The Ethiopian Herald had a moment of while with him for detailed information about the ATO. Excerpts:
Herald: What is Tourism Olympiad and how did the idea come up?
Abate: The term Tourism Olympiad seems new. But to give you a clear picture, we conjured up the skeleton of it four years back. If you remember Ethiopia has been sending delegates to Egypt for public diplomacy concerning the Nile River.
As the public relationship went on, there came to our thought that ‘Nile does not belong to anyone but everyone belongs to Nile’. That is because the Nile has existed ways before both Ethiopia and Egypt were identified as countries. Therefore, the notion considering the Nile belongs to one’s self by itself is fallacy. We could utilize nature but we do not belong to it. The blessing of Nile is too much that it is enough for all.
This idea would gradually bring us to ponder on the possibilities of how we could integrate the economies of all the countries in the Nile basin and that is tourism. In this case, we cannot find the Pyramids of Egypt anywhere else in the continent. And if I ask myself whether the Egyptian Pyramids are competitor with, my tourism market the answer is no, they are not.
Herald: What do you mean by that?
Abate: Here is the idea. The word competitive by itself applies only when you are betting the same material for different audience. Competition only comes only when different people are betting on one same material. If the materials are different in kind, there will not be competition. If the Egyptians have the pyramids and the Ethiopians have the Lalibela Rock Hewn Churches, the materials are different. Thus, why not make the tourism sector complementary instead of competitive.
Even if they are in different places, The Great Pyramid and the Lalibela Churches are heritages of all Africans. So when we talk about the economic cases of Africa, integration is crucial. And if we do so, we can start from tourism market, which is the easiest. There could be minerals in some countries and they are absent in others. Some could be rich with oil, while others do not have it.
However, one thing that all African countries, to some extent, are blessed with is tourism. But, there has never been an organization that could integrate this sector with complementary platform. The sector has been neglected. Even in the largest institution of the continent, African Union, it was this year a very small unit concerning tourism is established. It is not supported with strong financial and human resource.
So, this is how we came up with the idea of bringing all the countries together through Olympiad forum that provides a platform to integrate their tourism market.
Herald: What could be the inspirations that led your office to go farther and put up efforts for the realization of this initiative?
Abate: In the past and present experiences concerning the tourism sector of Africa, most of the countries have been strongly engaged in promoting and commercializing the already well known or recognized tourism materials. But, there are resources that are still untapped.
For instance, it is amazing to see the fact that it was Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed who opened the eyes of many about how the tourism sector still has great potential which is untapped. We have been passively watching the palace from distance and suddenly the premier took initiative of preparing it for tourism market. It is a novel idea.
On the other hand, there are so many natural attraction sites that we have but did not promote and which other people from different parts of the world wish that they have them.
Herald: For instance?
Abate: For instance, we can begin from Lake Shala, Abijata and all the hot spring waters that are found throughout Ethiopia. There are so many senior people in other parts of the world who are suffering from depression during the cold seasons.
Even though these people can afford and would like to relax on such places, we did not promote the hot springs worldwide. But, it is only a matter of maintaining basic infrastructures and improving the tour service to let them come and relax.
Herald: So, what are the focus areas and basic activities included in the platform or the initiative?
Abate: There should be an organization that is capable of conducting integrated research about the tourism potential of each and every country [in the continent] and put the information in a data center. If investors want to spend on the sector, what background could they depend on? There are no opportunities provided based on appropriate researches.
Currently, business tourism is growing very fast in the globe. It is given a name bleisure by combining the words business and leisure. That is because some big companies have understood the value of nature as a medical sanctuary. What we currently have a good development is on conference tourism.
Meanwhile, we believe that we can do better by making nature as a doctor for our guests. In this case, every African country can make nature a good market.
Thus, our focal attention will be bringing policy makers, tour operators and experts for a panel discussion. Its main objective will be discussing on how we can integrate our tourism, identify untapped areas and bring them to market.
We have invited every country [in the continent] stressing that ‘come with your crew but do not forget one person, who is your in-and-out expert that knows all about the expertise of your country’.
Herald: How do you describe the overall progress and the responses from the countries?
Abate: The Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Foreign Affairs has played crucial role in this process. The invitation letters are hand delivered to all African countries that has embassies in Addis Ababa. And almost all have said “I wonder why we did not think about this sooner”.
Finally, we went to the AU, which is supposed to be the rightful owner of the issue. The AU was also impressed by the idea that it has accepted and given the project initiative a title ‘Ethiopia’s Initiative for the Whole Africa”.
Then we have reached on an agreement that since we started the initiative, we would conduct the first audition [forum] and the AU will be totally involved in it then after. It will be a forum that is given to Africa from Ethiopia with a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and AU.
Meanwhile, the countries, which accepted the idea, have asked us a logical question about logistics. They said “if the logistics is very attractive, it would enhance our capacity to bring more participants of our own”. In this case, the Ethiopian Airlines became the first to provide us with full cooperation.
I am glad to say that Ethiopian will offer a very attractive flight discount. Its International hotel ‘Ethiopian Skylight’ is also ready to provide attractive accommodations and display rooms free of charge. The third is local flight package, which will be arranged for the guests for short visits in some important tourist sites of Ethiopia after the forum.
Herald: What could be the outcome from this first ATO forum?
Abate: A free exchange of experience. Someone’s bottleneck could have been solved somewhere else. So, that solution could be applicable for other country’s problem. That is why we are saying “Complement each other, do not compete”. The first big job is identifying a problem. By exchanging experiences, every country would identify its problems and those experts who will participate on the forum are expected to share ideas and solutions.
We are countries who want to help each other and grow. If we develop our tourism and integrate the economy with efficient data base center, the sector will be a future prospect for our young nation. So, all African tourism policy makers and experts are going to decide on an African tourism package.
That is why I appreciate Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed, an IT man, but who gave us insight of what we can do for our untapped tourism potential.
The Ethiopian Herald Sunday Edition 1 September 2019
BY HENOK TIBEBU
