According to tourism review data, Egypt, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, and Tunisia are among the top five African tourist destinations in 2023. These countries attracted the largest international tourists and generated a tangible income from the tourism sector. Following this, such countries are generating more from the tourism sector and the sector becomes a sustainable source of job opportunities to the growing number of youths.
Regarding this, the Ethiopian government is also undertaking its level best to motivate the tourism sector. The Ministry of Tourism is closely working with pertinent sector actors to attract numerous international tourists and promote domestic tourism. By doing so, the tourism sector has been given due attention by the government as the five pillars of the economy.
Recently, the Ministry of Tourism announced that preparations are underway to tap the untapped potentials of the tourism sector through undertaking various measures by the new Ethiopian fiscal year. The Ministry plans to boost the sector income through promoting new tourist destinations, cultivating a trained and productive labor force, as well as easing the sector challenges.
Speaking with the Ethiopian Press Agency (EPA), Tourism State Minister Seleshi Girma stated that the utmost effort is being put to attract one billion foreign tourists and collect one billion USD.
The Ministry of Tourism has set a plan to earn the stated amount of revenues from the one million foreign tourists that are expected to pay visit to Ethiopia this year.
Accordingly, the country expects to generate over one billion USD from one million foreign tourists during this fiscal year.
Last budget year, some 30 million local tourists visited several tourist attractions and similar number of tourists are expected to pay visit to various destinations this fiscal year, as to him.
The State Minister further stated that different tourist destination development activities would be performed as well as Ambassador’s forum would be held to enhance tourist inflow.
“The lifting of travel restrictions that had been put due to outbreak of COVID 19 and unrests would be significant in building a positive image,” he noted.
The soon to be inaugurated community lodge located in Senkele Swayne’s Hartebeest Sanctuary, is amongst the tourism development activities, said Seleshi.
In addition to the current tourism information center, around three new information centers would be made ready this year. Moreover, the nation would take part in different international tourism exhibitions and hospitality forums to introduce its untapped tourism potentials, he added.
He indicated that the promotion activity that used to be carried out mainly in North America and Europe countries have now widen to different Middle East countries. Similarly, the Ministry has given due emphasis to promote domestic tourism.
Mentioning that it has been over five years since the standard of several hotels and lodges have been rated, Seleshi mentioned that rating hotels as per to their standard would positively add to the tourism market development.
The hotels standard’s report that has been carried out for the past six months would be released soon, according to the State Minister.
Moreover having well trained human power in the tourism sector is another milestone to harness the country’s vast tourism potentials. No doubt, the tourism sector embraces more job opportunities across the country. Thus, the youths are expected to be more successful in their future endeavors if they are offered with successive tourism sector trainings.
In Ethiopia, the Tourism Training Institute (TTI) is among the leading institution that has been generating the largest number of tourism sector professional in the past years.
The Tourism Training Institute said it has been working tirelessly to provide a skilled labor force for hotels and contribute share for bringing competitive quality in Ethiopia’s hospitality industry.
Institute Deputy Director Habtamu Kibret told The Ethiopia Herald that they have been offering training and other capacity building programs to hotel professionals that would help the hotels to avail international service to their customers.
Mentioning the need to exert collaborative efforts to ensure quality in the sector, Habtamu indicated the institute is taking bold steps to meet the needs of the hotel industry. Currently, the institute provides training up to five levels and the programs have been periodically reviewed by hotel experts.
“Previously, we offered 21 programs and the number of programs was downsized into eight in a bid to ensure quality training and to nurture qualified professionals.”
He added: “Since it is not feasible to produce adequate hotel professionals by a single entity, we have been supporting regional tourism and hotel training institutes to adjust the quality of their training per the federal level. We have also offered capacity building training to their teachers and extended professional assistance.”
According to the deputy director, the institute’s graduates have been playing a vital role in satisfying the demand for skilled professionals among star-designated hotels and in the tourism industry.
The institute is also a leading entity that has been supporting the hotel and tourism sector with researchers and innovative ideas. Equipped with a viable professional structure, the entity envisions becoming a center of excellence in the area, he remarked.
Other private owned institutions are also providing various trainings in the tourism sector to numerous youths in Addis Ababa and throughout the country.
Among these, Capital Hotel and Management College (CHMC) announced that it has been contributing to satisfy the growing demand for skilled labor in the hotel and tourism sectors and in job creation in the country.
CHMC Dean Solomon Taye told the Ethiopian Press Agency (EPA) that the college has been steadily working to fill the skilled labor gap in the hotel and tourism sectors and enhance the service delivery. “All of our departments are providing international standard training.”
He added: “We equip our students with international hospitality principles in a bid to enable them to serve global tourists and to portray Ethiopia’s positive image. Nurturing qualified hotel professionals should not be left to a single college and all concerned bodies need to support us.”
BY TEWODROS KASSA
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 20 OCTOBER 2023
