Association Working to Restore Tourism in Conflict –Ridden Destinations
Bahir Dar, July 21 2023 (AMECO) – A number of efforts are being exerted to reinstate tourism and hospitality in the conflict-affected areas in the country, Ethiopia Tourism and Hotel Market Association said.
The association President Getahun Alemu told The Ethiopian Herald that various activities to restore the tourism in the states of Amhara, Afar, and Tigray have been carried out as the tourist service providers (hospitalities) were seriously demolished.
He, moreover, said some western media distorted campaign were another serious factor on the tourism industry in the conflict- ridden areas in particular and in Ethiopia in general.
However, the tourism sector is now reviving following the peace agreement signed between the Federal government and the TPLF, Getahun added.
It was learnt the association has been providing capacity building training for hotels, motivating domestic tourism, and awarding the states which recorded high performance in the sector.
It has also been promoting the tourism potentials through association’s official website, Media and the likes.
He further stated that the number of tour agents have been demanding the association to facilitate them various tourist packages after the peace accord.
“The association has been striving a lot to make adequate hospitality for tourists.’’ Talking about some of the challenges facing the tourism industry in Ethiopia, he pointed out that only hotels are making use of the Visa and MasterCard, thus the government and the industry itself have not been beneficiary due to absence of such system.
The president, therefore, said that the association is working with the federal government and states government to establish proper system in a bid to overcome the aforementioned setback.
