Workinesh Tekelaregaye, sales food and beverage in a lodge located in Bushemeda kebele, North Shewa Zone of Amhara State. She said that lodges are playing significant role especially for unemployed youth there.
Before starting up this business in the lodge, she lived in Addis Ababa for many years looking for employment opportunity which was in vain. Later she managed to come across this job opportunity when she visited the area to nurse her ailing mother.
Currently, she makes more than 2,000 Birr per month. However, the amount of money depends on the amount of flow of tourists. North Shewa Zone of Amhara State has many unique features including geographical structures, species, and heritages, among others.
The Zonal Culture and Tourism Bureau is also taking various activities to change the heritages to income generating activities so as to benefit job seeking youth like Workinesh.
To increase tourist flow in the area, government should help through various methods like providing special hospitality and awareness creation to the society, she noted.
Tigist Mekuanentie, Department Head with the Bureau told The Ethiopian Herald that among the various activities of the sector includes creating job opportunity working with strong relation with stakeholders.
After the Bureau started to encourage associations to establish lodges that suit the needs of tourists, the associations have established Basodenger kebele and Ankober district three years ago. They youth are benefitting from the flow of tourists even though the number of visitors varies depending on the stability of the area.
The Bureau has carried out identification and registration of heritages in 24 woredas of the zone. As heritages are the print of the given society, awareness creation has been carried out during the past few years.
Coupled with some natural and manmade relics, ancient religious shrines are additional tourist attractions for North Shewa Zone of Amhara state. These attractions have a potential of generating more than two million Birr, although it needs assessment, she noted.
Heritages like Menze Gera reserved forest, Ankober Minilek II palace, ancient Goze mosque are the most commonly known in North Shewa of Amhara regional state.
Teklearegaye Jirame, General Director with Sustainable Natural Resource Management Association (SNRMA), non-profit organization, on his part said the area has dense ancient forest and natural gift which attracts tourists specially the geographical structure of the zone. As part of this, particularly, birds cave forest called the lung of the region has given unique sense for tourists due to have various trees species. In addition to this, Ankober Furm bird is unique bird from others which has the cause of a lot tourist flow in the stated district of North Shewa.
However, the forest is cutting by illegal part for selling and obtaining income from it. Due to this reason, the association is selected three areas, namely Ankober, Basodenger, and Taremaber for establishing lodges to prevent deforestation and create job opportunity for youth.
According to Tekelargaye, five lodges were established with the total budget of more than 160,000 USD. The money was donated by Critical Ecosystem Partnership Facility (CEPF) based in USA. The society has assisted the establishment of the lodges with labor.
On the other hand, the association has advertised the area through preparing brochures and website. The advertising is believed to have raised the flow of tourists.
Yohannes Tamerie, Lodges Coordinator in Basodenger kebele on his part said that the lodges are established by SUNRMA and society three years ago. However, it is impossible to say the lodges are generating expected income due to different reasons.
As to Yohannes, lack of due attention by the government, skilled man power, and promotion is the main challenges which hinders to generate much more income and create more job opportunity for youths. Currently, the lodges have opened jobs for more than 20 youth.
Particularly, preparing package for tourists is unique behavior of the lodges which located the same regional state. The package is playing pivotal role to reduce tourists tiredness due to the fee is once a time rather than fee repeatedly in the enjoyment period, Yohannes added.
The Ethiopian Herald October 19, 2019
BY MESERET BEHAILU
