BY TEWODROS KASSA
The celebration of street festivals in Ethiopia have contributed a lot to the developments of the tourism sector and generate tangible income from the sector through attracting numerous international and local tourists. The Ethiopian Meskel (The Finding of the True Cross) and Ethiopian Timket (Epiphany) festivals are the prominent ones in this regard.
The colourful celebrations of Meskel and Timket, Orthodox Christian celebrations, are crucial in promoting similar outdoor festivities and boosting Ethiopia’s tourism sector thereby boosting the national economy.
Different tourists who attended the celebration of Timket festival in Addis Ababa, Gondar, and other parts of the country also expressed their feeling about the unique identifications of the festival and its significant roles towards boosting the country’s tourist’s inflow.
Spanish tourists, who attended Ketera, the eve of Timket festivity, expressed their delight over the colorful conduct of the celebration. The tourists also said that Ketera is the most remarkable moment of their visit.
Ana Maria, from Spain, is her first time in Ethiopia to attend Ketera. She told The Ethiopian Herald that apart from its religious significance, the involvement of millions of children, youth, and the elderly in the festivity is a big contributor to promoting Ethiopia’s attractiveness for global tourists.
Maria further indicated that the majority of international tourists want to see a country with vibrant and age-old religious and cultural festivities as Timket and called for the preservation of such assets. “I hope, I will come back to Ethiopia to witness another holiday too.”
Joan Garcia is also from Spain. Noting it is his third time to attend Timket, Garcia claimed that the way Ethiopians mark the festivity is quite different from other countries thereby making his coming to the country always a new experience. “I will go to Gondar to take part in the celebration with my group. Having completed our stay in Gondar, we will visit the Rock-Hewn churches in Lalibela.”
The two Spaniards recommend fellow tourists to come and visit Ethiopia’s world-famous tourist attraction sites and festivities and witness the country’s much-cherished culture of hospitality by their own.
Other tourists who attended the Timket celebration told local media that the warm hospitality in Ethiopia and the ceremonial process of Timket is a great potential to excel the country’s tourism sector.
Sheila West, an American who is in Ethiopia for a conference and attended Timket celebration, said that she has never seen anything like this. “What impressed me the most is the gathering of the people. So, many people have come to pray, to give and the way that people are giving thanks (I presume because I do not speak the language) seem to be a very solemn thing. I have never seen anything like this before. There is nothing as impressive as this one from where I come from,” she explained.
One can easily feel good to be welcomed by all Ethiopians, West said, and added “but for me, the excitement is being here together with the people to celebrate this festival- Timket.”
Finnish Laura Poussa was the other tourist who attended the Timket festival. As she stated, Ethiopia has different potential tourist attraction sites and Ethiopian Epiphany (Timket) is one of them.
“I think this is a very wonderful ceremony and something very special. This kind of event does not take place in my country; and I think it is very special among all the people,” she added. Mentioning that people of different background joyfully celebrate the holiday together, Poussa pointed out that there is a lot that people around the world can learn about Ethiopians’ peaceful coexistence.
True, the colorful celebrations of Meskel and Timket are crucial in promoting similar outdoor festivities and boosting Ethiopia’s tourism sector thereby advancing the national economy if utilized properly. Not only that, but they can also play pivotal role in attracting more tourists to country’s world-famous attraction sites.
The Ethiopian Herald January 21/2023
