Street festivals contributing for growing tourists’ inflow: Bureau
ADDIS ABABA- Addis Ababa City Administration Culture and Tourism Bureau announced that street festivals such as the UNESCO registered Meskel and Timket contribute more in increasing tourist inflow to the country.
Bureau Communication Director Worku Mengesha told The Ethiopian Herald that Epiphany /Timket/ and Finding of the True Cross (Meskel) give a picture of a tangible difference in the rise and fall of tourists’ inflow to the country. The festivals enable visitors to discover Ethiopian cultural assets, observe every aspect of the public, and witness the hospitality of Ethiopians.
They also enable them spend splendid and unforgettable time in connection with the holidays, he added. Thus, the number of tourists’ inflow to the country reaches its peak during the marking of these street festivals, he said. As to him, the Bureau is working broadly to tap the potential of Timket and Meskel [Commemoration of Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River and Finding of the True Cross respectively] in attracting more tourists.
The improvement in providing luxurious touristic services with various tourist service rendering institutions is also catalyzing the growing tourism sector in the country, he noted. According to him, the number of tourists’ stay in the country has reached to 12 days. “Ethiopia is the leading country with tourists stay from African countries.”
Thus, it shows the real potential of the country to prosper with the sector, he remarked. The country’s Tourism Transformation Council is working hand in hand with stakeholders, investors, tourism experts and different technology sector practitioners to enhance tourism service providers to offer world class services for visitors.
He indicated that tourists’ stay predominantly relies on the comparative peace and stability, economic growth and availability of tourist service centers in the country.
He also said that UNESCO’s registration of Timket will have greater opportunity to develop and promote it and to attract more tourists to the country.
Authority for Research and Conservation of Cultural Heritages (ARCCH) Public and International Relation Director Fanta Beyene told The Ethiopian Herald that Ethiopia has sent the sample document of Timket street festival for registration last year.
Timket’s registration is expected to be announced during the upcoming UNESCO’s World Intan gible Heritages Conference in November, 2019, he added.
“The nomination file, 10 selected photos and a 10 minutes video play of Timket Festival was sent to UNESCO Committee. The Com mittee will crosscheck and announce its decision on Timket’s world heritage list registration.”
As to him, Timket has immense social, economical and cultural values to the people.
The nation is the leading country in Africa to register tangible and intangible heritages, manuscripts and biosphere reserves by UNESCO. As the nation has many tourist heritages, efforts are underway to inscribe many more attractions in the prestigious list of UNESCO.
The Ethiopian Herald, January 16/2019
BY TEWODROS KASSA
