ADDIS ABABA – Ministry of Culture and Tourism said star hotels are steadily increasing both in number and quality and providing quality service.
Ethiopia is ranked fourth in hotel development in Africa following Egypt, Nigeria and Morocco according to a survey by the Lagos-based W Hospitality Group.
Tewodros Deribow Tourist Service Competency and Grading Director at the Ministry told The Ethiopian Herald that, as Ethiopia is one of the top continental conference centers continentally and globally is providing quality service, its hotels are giving due attention.
Ethiopia’s tourism sector showed a steady increase in the last decade. Since the country has immense natural, cultural and historical attractions, improvement of service in quality and quantity is enhancing hospitability and creating chance for diplomats to visit the country’s tourist site, Tewodros noted.
With the recent growth Ethiopia has been showing, all major international hotel brands are expected to have a representation in Ethiopia.The reason for the need to represent in Ethiopia is related to the country’s immense natural, cultural and historical attractions and this increases the tourist inflow towards the country.
Luxury hotels play a vital role in attracting tourists. Currently, there are over 400 hotels in Ethiopia out of which 40 percent are in Addis Ababa, as to him.
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital and political center of Africa hosts different continental and global conference and Tewodros stated that, the City would succeed in hosting such continental with great deal of hospitability.
According to him, even though the level of conference tourism in Ethiopia is increasing from year to year, much effort is still required to make the conference tourism competitive globally. The increment of branded star hotels in the country results positive contributions for the tourism sectors, noted Tewodros.
Tewodrosalso noted that, hotel industry in the country is flourishing and shows steady increase during the last few years. However, given that Ethiopia is the seat of African Union, and also the hotel industry in the country is booming, much work remains to uplift the competitiveness of the sector by implementing global standards. Now a days the quality and hospitality that given for both domestic and foreign national is very good,” he said.
Mekonin Kidanemariam, CEO of Addis Regency Hotel agreed that the country has immense natural, cultural and historical attractions and this creates chance for foreign visitors to visit the country’s tourist site. Indirectly this paves the ways for the investors or hotel owners to expand their representation to Ethiopia.
As the hospitality business in Ethiopia is booming, investors should invest in new hospitality that can produce world class professionals and feed both the international brands coming into the country and the emerging local hotel brands, says hotel manager.
Mekonen added that, as long as the country maintains its peace and stability, anticipates increasing number of both tourists and business travelers coming to Ethiopia.
Among the other factors he mentioned for the growing number of hotel representation to Ethiopia is the growing number of meetings and events such as, regional and continental meetings.
Most of the hotels found in Ethiopia are not working sufficiently regarding promoting indigenous cultures of the country and still much effort is remained.
The government must facilitate conditions for the investors in sharing experience and technology transfer with successful foreign companies is better for more development hotels and to provide quality service and more competitive, Mekonin noted
The Ethiopian Herald June 22/2019
BY HAILE DEMEKE
