The envisioned ”Dine for Generation” projects and the developing ”Dine for Nation” tourism projects would help to unlock the untapped tourism potential of the nation, Ethiopian Tourist Guides Professional Association Secretary-General Henok Tsegaye said.

In an exclusive interview with ENA, the secretary general said the tourism sector has gained new inputs and new destinations developed during the last 4 to 5 years.

According to him, the projects Dine for Sheger, Dine for Nation and the recent Dine for Generation with 8 destinations that have been developed over the years would lead to unlock the untapped tourism potential of the country.

Henok further expressed his belief that the destinations spread across the country unlike the past would enable tourists to grasp the full image of the country.

Also, they can solve the overload of hotels in providing services for their guests, which is one of the challenges of the sector, and provide quality service, he added.

As the newly launched projects are based on tourism that is friendly to the environment they would also contribute to the enhancement of the sector.

Recalling that 2 of the 8 new destinations will be built by investors, Henok said this is a new chapter in the sector that would encourage more private companies to engage in the tourism.

Moreover, since most of the launched tourist sites are located in rural parts of the country, they would benefit the nearby communities, including farmers.

“When the projects are completed, the service can generate foreign currency and contribute to the cash flow of the country.”

It is to be noted that the construction of 8 tourism projects in Afar, Amhara, Benishangul-Gumuz, Oromia, SNNP, Somali, and South West Ethiopia regions would be launched soon under Dine for Generation initiative.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency