Owing to Ethiopia’s enormous potential in the tourism sector, embassies and development partners need to make the sector a priority area of intervention
The Ethiopian Tourism Ministry has called on members of the diplomatic community and development partners based in Addis Ababa to take tourism as a priority area of engagement for the benefit of the people and economy of Ethiopia.
According to a press statement issued by the ministry, it held a briefing session with members of the diplomatic community and development collaborates in the capital on the theme, Tourism Development, Opportunity and Challenges.
Speaking at the occasion, Tourism State Minister Seleshi Girma said development partners and embassies were expected to encourage investment inflow in the tourism and hospitality sectors and inspire more people to come and visit Ethiopia.
The statement adds that owing to Ethiopia’s enormous potential in the tourism sector, embassies and development partners need to make the sector a priority area of intervention and support both government and private sectors initiatives in tourism as well as heritage reparations.
‘‘Ethiopia’s strategic location, the reputable airlines, its diverse tourism resources and history could attract more tourists across the globe. Nonetheless, service quality assurance, technology, heritage and wildlife conservation are among the areas where we want to collaborate,’’ Girma told the gathering.
The statement adds that for Shen Qinmin, Deputy Chief of the Chinese Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s tourism industry was on the move and held a great potential in the future; expressing his country’s support in various areas including job creation and economic promotion.
‘‘Ethiopia not only a beautiful country but also rich in culture, history and tourism resources as well. Both Ethiopia and China are countries of ancient civilizations where the two people have a lot to share. My embassy is encouraging more Chinese tourists to come here,’’ Qinmin said on the occasion.
The Chinese envoy added that Ethiopia had the biggest number of UNESCO-inscribed cultural sites in the Horn of Africa while Asia and China share a great resource of tourism as well. Therefore, the two countries can work together and bridge together to let people come to visit each other’s sites, he said.
Mentioning the tourism industry’s huge contribution to the green development initiative, Qinmin asserted his country’s alignment with Ethiopia and its tourism aspirations.
Moroccan Ambassador to Ethiopia Nezha AlaouiM’hammdi expressed optimism about the two countries ability and keen interest to work together in the tourism sector. The Moroccan envoy added that the briefing event not only offered a potential partnership with Ethiopia but it was also a good opportunity to strengthen the south-south cooperation in the field of tourism.
‘‘The briefing is not only a way to market and make known Ethiopia but it is also an excellent initiative to open our eyes not only to the diplomatic community and foreigners but also Ethiopians to see how huge the country’s tourism potential is,’’ said the Ambassador.
