Number of tourists visiting Ethiopia still less: official

18 July, 2006

Despite the increase in the number of tourists visiting Ethiopia, their number is still less compared to that of countries with very limited tourist sites, a government official said Monday.

At a daylong workshop organized for stakeholders engaged in tourism business, Tadelech Dalecha, state minister of tourism and culture, said that despite the fact that Ethiopia has been part of the competitive global tourism business with its many cultural and natural tourist heritages, it is not generating adequate foreign currency from the sector as required.

Tadelech attributed the problem to poor quality of hotels and tour operation services and limited number of facilities, among others.

She said the problems have repeatedly being identified by many tourists visiting the country.

The tourists were usually happy with Ethiopia's tourist sites but complaining about the services, she said, adding that this would greatly affect the sector.

Tadelech urged all stakeholders to improve the services in the sector.

Ethiopia hopes to become Africa's 10 major tourist destinations. In the Horn of Africa country, the main tourist destination at the moment is the northern historic route encompassing Bahir Dar, Gondar, Axum, Makalle and Lalibela. Addis Ababa, the principal gateway to Ethiopia being a business center and a conference venue as well, is in its own right a major destination.

The other destinations chiefly include the wildlife centers along the Great Rift Valley and the south-west, the eastern historic area of Harar, and north Ethiopia's Simien Mountains National Park.

The total number of international tourist arrivals in Ethiopia, although growing, is by no means commensurate with the potentials of the country's attractions. The present constraints to growth are identified largely as shortage of tourist facilities.

Source: Xinhua