While opening the 6th year and 3rd tenure of the joint session of the House of Peoples’ Representatives (HPR) and House of Federation (HoF) this this week, President Sahle-Work Zewde underscored the need to harnessing the country’s vast endowments including in the tourism sector.
Addressing the joint session, President Sahle-Work Zewde presented some of the key social, economic and political directions and plans that the government will pursue in the new Ethiopian fiscal year, which started on July 8, 2023.
As to her, the tourism sector is a key sector that contributes a lot in realizing the country’s journey of development. Despite several challenges, the country has registered promising progress in the sector.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed also emphasized the incalculable socio-economic contributions of the tourism sector for country’s overall development.
Launching a month long National Tourism and Hospitality Investment Fair last Tuesday- on October 10, 2023 at the Addis Ababa Science Museum, the Premier said that tourism is one of the main pillars for the economic sector, considering a rich history, heritage, culture and natural endowments, bird species, wildlife and unique events that Ethiopia is endowed with and that have highly marketable values.
“Ethiopia is rich with history, heritage, culture, natural endowments, birds, and wildlife that are the foundation for the development of tourism. The country is also endowed with magnificent bio-diversities that have potential tourism attractions and located at the highest mountains and lowlands with conducive weather,” the PM reiterated.
“The world has scientifically proved that Ethiopia is a place where a fact about the origins of human beings is located. (And) there would be no human being that does not want to visit this. The highest and very lowest places are located in Ethiopia. We find the highest places at the Semen Mountains and Bale Mountains, as well as the lowest (place) Dallol Depression in Afar. There are also very hot and cold places in Ethiopia. In general, Ethiopia is a country with extremely extraordinary places,” Abiy remarked.
In this regard, the Tourism and Hospitality Investment Fair gives visitors an opportunity to see a sample of what makes Ethiopia an ideal destination, the PM added.
The Prime Minister further stressed the need to put more efforts in order to augment the benefits of the country from the tourism sector. Identifying new tourism potentials as well as developing and intensively promoting the country’s vast tourist attractions is also the major task of the sector, he noted.
He also underlined the need to provide the necessary services for tourists coming to Ethiopia and all stakeholders in the tourism industry work in collaboration to expedite the development of the sector.
Highlighting that the government has been working on the development of the tourism sector through its home grown economic reform, Prime Minister Abiy called upon all Ethiopians to serve in the interest of positioning Ethiopia as a destination with many splendors.
“I call upon all Ethiopians to explore what your country offers; to extract the potential of what you discover; to promote and serve in the interest of positioning Ethiopia as a destination with many splendors,” the PM twitted.
In her message regarding the exhibition, Tourism Minister Ambassador Nasise Chali on her part said that the National Tourism and Hospitality Investment Fair is part of the World Tourism Day and tourism month celebration.
The exhibition highly helps stakeholders to identify the country’s immense tourism investment potentials, discover its wide cultural assets, heritages, and natural tourist attractions, she added.
Ministry of Tourism Public Relations and Communication Director, Alemayehu Getachew told local media that the month of September marks the end of the rainy season and the beginning of sunny season, along with several outdoor religious and cultural festival activities that are significant to flourish tourism in Ethiopia.
As to him, the period between September and January is a peak season for tourist flow in Ethiopia. The flow in particular increases in September which marks the end of rainy season and the celebrations of number of outdoor religious and cultural festivals.
According to the Director, the Ethiopian New Year, Meskel (the Finding of the True Cross), Gifata, the New Year festival of the Wolayta people, and Irreechaa, the Thanks giving Day of the Oromo people, are among the festivals that have been enhancing tourism. The celebrations were included in tourism packages based on tourists’ interest, time, and financial capacity.
Besides, tourists can also enjoy Ethiopian foods, coffee ceremony, and visit the grand open market, Merkato, as part of the tourism package in Addis Ababa city, Alemayehu added.
In the city, transit passengers can also visit various places, including the National Museum, where the remains of Lucy are found, and historical places as well as the newly developed tourist destinations like Unity and Entoto Parks
In sum, the one month long exhibition launched last Tuesday will give visitors an opportunity to see a sample of what makes Ethiopia an ideal destination. Giving more attention to the tourism sector enables harnessing the country’s immense tourism potentials and transforms the national economy, the tourism experts stressed.
Ethiopia has given a paramount attention to the tourism sector in its ten year national development plan. The government is working to improve policies and legal frameworks to make the sector play a key part in the local economic strategy.
The National Tourism and Hospitality Investment Fair opened at the Science Museum on October 10, 2023 will run until November 8, 2023, it was learnt.
BY TEWODROS KASSA
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 13 OCTOBER 2023
