Ethiopia has abundant tourism potentials. Its natural beauty, historic, cultural and religious heritages festivals, ancient relics and indigenous incredible artifacts coupled with country’s diverse climate and attractive landscapes make the country one of the top destinations to visit.
These blessings present unique opportunities in terms of advancing country’s socioeconomic development, aside from being pride to Ethiopia and Ethiopians.
However, as professionals, working on the area stated repeatedly, the country though is blessed with enormous resources compared with other countries, is not benefitting at the desired level for various reasons. Including limitation in promoting the potential tourism resources through a variety of promotional tools, failure in expanding basic tourism infrastructure facilities and services in tourist destinations sites, and producing human capital in the sector among others are challenging the sector hugely.
As Rank Ethiopia stated in its website, with the most UNESCO World Heritage Sites than any other African country (including Egypt), Ethiopia is a hidden gem that is overlooked by many travellers. With such cultural diversity, archaeological pedigree and natural beauty, there’s a good reason why the nation a so high on the Wild Frontiers travel list.
In the past few years, however, developing tourist sites and promoting the tourism sector is getting attention as a consequence of its incalculable socioeconomic rewards.
As part this effort, over the past two years numbers of tourist destinations were refurbished and reconstructed. Some more are also in the pipeline. As a result, with in a short time, the recently refurbished and reconstructed sites amongst others are getting popularity from local people and foreign tourists.
Especially, the sites that have become reality in recent years in the capital Addis Ababa, including the Entoto Park, Unity Park, the Science Museum as well as Abrehot Library and Friendship Square are alluring the hearts of domestic and foreign tourists. The number of people, who are visiting the places, is also increasing from time to time.
Of late, tourists who came from various African countries and visited tourist destinations located in different areas of the capital also expressed their feelings with regard to nation’s ample tourist attractions.
According to the tourists, they found the capital, Addis Ababa to be a very impressive destination for visitors.
According to Mohammed Habib Jebel, Senior Expert in Tourism Marketing and Promotion at the Ministry of Tourism; More than 600 visitors from 40 African countries have entered Addis Ababa. Of those tourists, more than 50 are said working in areas related to the tourism sectors.
Jackie May, a journalist and came from South Africa, was one of the tourists who visited the destinations. “I have witnessed amazing tourist attractions that inspire Africans to pay a visit to Ethiopia. I have found the tourist destinations in Addis Ababa to be very impressive,” she stated to local media.
Harriet Muru, Kenyan Journalist, also mentioned that during her visit she saw number of gripping and fascinating things that cannot be bored if seen again and again; but creating some type of psychological satisfaction.
Fatim Tolah, who came from Côte d’Ivoire, also appreciated Ethiopia’s move in progressing the tourism sector and underlined the significance of the tour in terms of strengthening Africa’s tourism sector. Such kind of tour can boost up inter-African tourism. Thus, other African countries should also draw a lesson from Ethiopia, she added.
The visit, organized by the initiative of the African Union in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Nigerian Embassy, is said help to promote Ethiopia’s tourism potential and building nation’s image concurrent to reinforcing African unity, and cooperation among countries of the region through creating a continental tourism movement.
Ethiopia is the third country in Africa, after Tunisia and Morocco, in inscribing many heritage sites on the World Heritage List.
BY STAFF REPORTER
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 21 OCTOBER R 2022
