BY TEWODROS KASSA
According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), tourism is the main bridge for building understanding. It has a unique ability to promote peace between and among peoples everywhere.
Conference tourism plays a significant role towards changing the lives of the society through generating huge direct and indirect income. Conference tourism trips are usually done with participants like; head of states, ministers and high ranking officials jointly with investors to conduct business-to-business (B2B) sessions as well as different sector professionals including journalists to report the conference.
According to the Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS), which serves as the secretariat of the Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa, the forum provides an informal platform for key African stakeholders to engage in frank, relevant, and candid discussions, and work towards effective African-led solutions to the continent’s most pressing security challenges.
Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa was mainly organized towards undertaking a mutual discussion among African countries leaders on the security issues of the continent. However, the Forum has proved itself worthy of being taken seriously as a veritable platform for energetic and purposeful conversation on pressing, actionable, and relevant peace and security challenges facing the African society.
Currently, Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa has gained momentum through convening for the socio-economic development and partnership of the African society to ensure peace and security.
More importantly, it has now become a potential event to attract numerous international tourists to Bahir Dar and Ethiopia. It hosted numerous conference participants that will have the opportunities to discover the area and facilitate conference tourism in the country. Participants of the conference could immensely contribute to promote the country’s tourism performance as the forum served as a means to publicize the country’s unique tourism endowments.
Recently, the Tana Forum was held successfully in Bahir Dar. Tourism experts approached by The Ethiopian Herald said that the forum is a great opportunity to promote the country’s untapped conference tourism potentials.
Amhara Culture and Tourism Bureau Head Tahir Mohamed told the Ethiopian Press Agency (EPA) that the 10th Tana Forum has left a big mark as an additional tourism opportunity alongside the discussion. It has left a big mark on the development of conference tourism. Apart from religious and historical events, it has been learned that tourism can be increased by paying special attention to conferences.
As to him, the movement from one area to another due to meetings has a positive effect on conference tourism. Apart from this, the conference has left a big mark on the development of conference tourism in the area. Prior to the forum, arrangements were made to facilitate guests to visit tourist destinations in the State and a lot of work is done according to what needs to be done around the guest reception.
“Along with the Prime Minister’s Office and other relevant bodies; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the secretariat that organizes the forum have done security and reception activities in cooperation with service providers.”
Accordingly, the forum has been successful in hosting guests since its inception and there were scenes that could promote Ethiopia’s culture in the reception of guests from the airport. Also, activities of visiting cultural and tourist attractions in the area have been done.
At the end of the forum, high-level officials including country leaders visited the nearby tourist destinations and were happy with that. This experience has noticeable effects as an additional tourism opportunity.
He pointed out that such an event would benefit everyone from small businesses to large service providers in the area and brings an additional resource for economic activity. In the field of tourism, great experience has been taken to develop and promote attraction sites in a better way.
As the forum was held in Tana, the participants had the opportunity to visit many tourism attractions and there is a wide plan to expand the tourism activities next year, including the Tana Forum. Regarding this, a strategy will be made and completed by June 2023.
Apart from keeping the holidays, the attendees can organize symposiums, panels, concerts and similar events without keeping the context of the holidays and an agreement is being made to stimulate the tourism activities throughout the Amhara State.
In sum, encouraging local businesses, offering new markets for cultural and souvenir shops, exchanging international knowledge and experiences in every affair and finally enhancing the country’s socio-economic growth are the major positive outcomes of hosting such regional and international conferences. The country is expected to utilize the conference tourism sector through properly implementing tourism marketing strategies.
Currently, different data are showing that Ethiopia is hosting diversified continental and international social, political, economic, sports as well as cultural and entertainment conferences which is gaining more attention to attract further diversified international conferences and business to business (B2B) sessions.
Needless to say that Bahir Dar, the third largest in Ethiopia after Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa, is one of the places blessed with natural, historic and cultural attractions. Its age long historic monasteries and artifacts, the Blue Nile Falls, Lake Tana, together with its impressive landscape and favourable weather make Bahir Dar an amazing destination for visitors. Owing to these and other endowments, thus, expanding conference facilities, creating enabling environment and promoting conference tourism in the State can yield significant returns.
It is recalled that in 2002, Bahir Dar was awarded the 2000-2001 UNESCO Cities for Peace Prize held in Marrakesh, Morocco for addressing the challenges of rapid urbanization.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 28 OCTOBER 2022
