Ethiopia has immense tourism potential outstanding to its natural, historical and cultural endowments. The nation is benefiting a lot from the tourism sector and it covers 4 percent of the nation GDP. The income from the sector is increasing from time to time and this year the Ministry of Culture and Tourism earned some 3.4 billion Birr from 910, 128 tourists.
Ethiopia is set to tap into its immense tourism potential in order to become one of Africa’s top five tourist destinations by 2020. The country already boasts over nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites as well as unspoilt landscapes, diverse and distinctive wildlife including colourful bird-life, and has now established two entities to help it unlock the vast potential of its tourism sector.
The government set up the Ethiopian Tourism Transformation Council and the Ethiopian Tourism Organisation (ETO) to help the country use its tourism potential to boost the country’s economic growth, promote inclusive development and ensure environmental sustainability.
With no doubt, Ethiopia has various natural, cultural and archaeological attractions. Recently, anthropologists have found out new discovery regarding the decease of hominid, Lucy. In this regard, Texas and Addis Ababa University researchers proved that the ancient human ancestor Lucy died after falling from a tree. To make evidences, researchers combined interpretation from Lucy’s fossils, CT-scan reconstructions and ancient environment interpretation from geological information support.
According to Prof. Mulugeta Fesseha of the Addis Ababa University, the finding could indicate signals to help the nation promote its various attractions. It has also paved the way for further archaeological discoveries in the country and abroad.
Historically, several hundred pieces of bone represented 40 percent of the skeleton of a female of the hominin species Australopithecus afarensis, Lucy. In Ethiopia, the assembly is also known as Dinkinesh in the Amharic language, which means “you are marvelous”. Lucy was discovered in 1974 near the village Hadar in the Awash Valley of the Afar Triangle in Ethiopia by paleoanthropologist Donald Johanson.
According to Dr. Mulugeta, the recent discovery on Lucy fossil indicates that the species has spent time both on trees and on the ground, and assists to complete 40 per cent of the fossil’s history.
With regard to promoting the country’s attractions, Culture and Tourism Ministry Public Relations Director Gezahegn Abate explained the Ministry is doing a coordinated task aiming at promoting the country’s attractions and the new finding on Lucy also fosters the tasks of the Ministry promoting the national tourism brand: “Land of Origins.”
Currently, tremendous improvement has been registered with time. However, the Ministry is striving to contribute its own to boom-mass flow of tourists. It as well works to encourage local community to preserve natural environment. It has been reiterated that Ethiopia had lately replaced its tourism motto and logo, “Thirteen Months of Sunshine” that had been serving for over half a century. The ‘defunct’ motto is superseded by a new brand “Land of Origins.”
It is designed to represent the natural, historical and cultural attractions of the country including Lucy and Coffee. This catchphrase is anticipated to better represent the country’s current feature comprehensively and promote Ethiopia’s as untapped touristic spots.
According to the Ethiopian Tourism Organization, the new brand has been developed after conducting extensive research and consultation in collaboration with tour operators and potential tourists. The new brand will serve to truly show the world Ethiopia’s being “Land of Origins” and lure tourists to visit its surpassing culture, history and heritage. To help promote tourism in vibrant and fresh spirit, the new brand has been circulated to hotels across the country including lodges and service areas of Ethiopian Airlines.
Similarly, Authority for Research and Conservation of Cultural Heritage World Heritage Management Senior Expert Hailemelekot Agizew said fossils including Lucy, Ardi and Selam had made their habitat here in Ethiopia. Hence, world archaeology and paleontology scientists are eyeing at Ethiopia for further discoveries.
Indeed, Ethiopia is a land whereby human beings walked upright for the first time. In addition, it is a land that brought endowments to the entire world like coffee. Many agreed that Ethiopia is also the melting pot of Africa and the cradle of mankind as proved by the fossils of Salam and Lucy, exhumed in Afar.
Since 2007, the fossil assembly and associated artifacts were exhibited publicly in an extended six-year tour of the United States; the exhibition was called Lucy’s Legacy: The Hidden Treasures of Ethiopia. There was discussion of the risks of damage to the unique fossils, and other museums preferred to display casts of the fossil assembly. The original fossils were returned to Ethiopia in 2013, and subsequent exhibitions have used casts.
Many countries leaders including the president of United States Barack Obama and many tourists around the world have visited Ethiopia and touched the fossils of Lucy. Thus, Lucy became famous worldwide, and the story of her discovery and reconstruction was published in a book by Johanson.
Apart from fossil attractions, the existence of endemic mammals and birds in Ethiopia, and its natural phenomenon and salubrious climate are also luring global tourists. To fully benefit from its vast tourism potential, the country needs to prioritize and overcome some fundamental challenges such as in alleviating poverty and protecting the natural heritage, as well.
In sum, there has to be a need to establish partnership, and pull together the government, private sector, and the development partners in order to transform the tourism sector in Ethiopia. All stakeholders must work hand-in-glove to improve the sector and enable Ethiopia to be one of the top tourist destination in Africa.
Of course, Ethiopia is well-situated to leverage its enormous tourism potential through cohesive tourism development that creates new jobs and stimulates investments. The tourism development also assists to expand the market for its goods and services, and helps to diversify the country’s revenue base and bring it closer to its goal of reaching middle income status by 2025.
[www.ethpress.gov.et/]