Very recently, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced that it is on the way to develop tourism infrastructure at the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) taking advantages over the artificial lake that is going to be created due to the construction of such mega project.
On several occasions, many experts on tourism and those who are fortunate enough to visit the country are often found to say that the nation needs to developing its tourism infrastructure in parallel with promoting its untapped tourism potentials to the world making use of all available means of communications and media outlets.
In fact, the Ministry has been getting involved in intensive promoting activities of Ethiopia’s tourism resources . It as well has succeeded in attracting many more tourists to the country and getting registered some of the historic and cultural heritages of the nation on United Nations Education Science and Culture Organization(UNESCO).
Moreover, the income generating from the tourism sector of the nation is showing dramatic increase from time to time. However, the sector does not seem to benefit much the communities living in the surroundings of the so far discovered tourist destinations in the country. For instance, most of the tourist destinations lack proper infrastructure and other modern facilities that will tempt tourists to stay for long.
By the same token, over most of the activities that are being undertaking to promote and persevere tourist attractions and destinations of the nation do not actively involve the community in this regard. As a result, a number of national parks are continuously becoming vulnerable to various man made disasters like illegal cutting down of forests, the ongoing grazing activities in the conservation areas and so forth.
Therefore, the Ministry and other pertinent bodies have to put into considerations the interests of the communities who are living nearby tourist destinations like the GRED. . They as well have to create opportunities where the public at large participate actively in every and each tourism and heritage conservation activities in a bid to gain the desire outcome in the overall tourism development endeavors of the nation.
Apart from putting in place the required infrastructure in the places where are identified as tourist attractions or destinations , activities that are supposed to preserve the artifacts and cultural values of the societies should be carried out in planned and integrated manner than ever.
Obviously, any development endeavor that is undertaken based on the interests and desires of the community will be the most effective and sustainable one. Thus, every fellow citizen has to be informed about the importance of the tourism development for the nation and him/herself before taking further actions.
The nation also needs to promote its tourism potentials regarding bird watching activities. As a huge number tourists travel from one place to another to watch various species of bird across the world ,Ethiopia has to disseminate timely information about the flyway of its endemic birds and others . As well as the seasons when the birds are passing through the international known flyway to the interested tourists.
In the end, mostly tourists go to places where they get quality hotel and transport services. Therefore, the nation should speed up the standardization process of the existing hotels as well as hotels that are under construction.
Persevering and conserving tangible and intangible historic,cultural and natural heritages should be the concern of every individual while properly benefiting the people and nation as whole.
Moreover, the Ministry of Tourism and Culture and every individual need to shoulder their responsibility in making GERD to be a wonderful tourism destination in the world.