ADDIS ABABA – The Ministry of Culture and Tourism disclosed that it has signed a three-year agreement to work together with the Center for the Promotion of Imports (CPI) in branding and promoting the various tourism destinations in Ethiopia.
Briefing journalists here yesterday, Minister of Culture and Tourism Hirut Kassa (Ph.D) said the agreement would bring significant importance to the tourism sector, and increase the awareness about promoting the existing tourist sites, she said.
Hirut said the program would increase the number of tourist flows to Ethiopia. Following the branding and promotion works, about 30 thousand more tourists are projected to visit the country annually.
According to Hirut, the program could also enable the country earn additional estimated one million USD per annum. The project would also create job opportunity for substantial number of people.
The Minister also said the CPI would first promote the tourist destinations to the world. In so doing, branding and promoting the new and internationally recognized destinations would hold prime attention in the future.
“It also trains the local tour operators and familiarizes them to the other continents. This would help the country curb shortage of experienced tour operators which was one of the problems in the sector.”
As to her, the government has allocated a budget of 1.5 million USD to fulfill the requirement to utilize the necessary tourism infrastructures and destinations.
Yakob Melaku, President of Ethiopian Tour Operators Association, said for his part that the project will build the capacity of local tour operators.
Woudstra Thijs, Ambassador of the Netherlands to Ethiopia, said the agreement would be an opportunity to the efforts of Netherlands to invest in Ethiopia. It would also enhance the tourism brand of Ethiopia, Land of Origin, he added.
November 16/2019
BY GETAHUN LEGESSE
