Ethiopia is known as the ‘Land of Origins,’-a land where the first human kind walked on Earth. As an ancient country, its unique cultural heritage, rich history and remarkable biodiversity have made it the source of tourist attractions at the global level.
The East African nation is also the source of the Abbay River (Blue Nile) and the origin of coffee, which is life’s greatest pleasure which Ethiopia offers to the world.
Further, the country still has plenty of untapped potential in various spheres in general and in tourist attraction sites in particular.
To properly exploit the untapped tourism sites, the government has identified tourism as one of the pillars of the homegrown economy. ‘Tourism is one of the main pillars for the economic sector, considering we have a rich history, heritage, culture, natural endowments, birds, wildlife and unique events that are marketable,’ Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed noted recently.
To this effect, the premier initiated Dine for Sheger, Dine for Nation and Dine for Gen
eration initiatives. These are clear manifestations of the country’s commitment to fully exploit its tourism potentials, leveraging the sector as one of the accelerators of Ethiopia’s inclusive economic growth ambitions.
Dine for Sheger
Beautifying Sheger has been a successful project initiated by Prime Minister Abiy aimed to uplift the image of Addis Ababa, the seat of the African Union as well as various international organizations.
Unity Park, Entoto Park, Friendship Park, Science Museum, and the National Palace Museum are among the new tourism destinations built over the last years in Addis Ababa.
The new projects become additional tourist attraction sites for the capital city of Ethiopia, the seat of many international, continental and regional organizations as they are attracting tourists and boosting the economy by offering a variety of attractions for both local and international visitors.
The Sheger Projects have all demonstrated greater efficiency of project implementation. This has made a grea
t success and aspirations as a nation to expedite the country’s effort to exploiting its untapped tourism potential to further increase the sector’s role for the overall economic growth.
Dine for Nation
The success stories of efficiency in Sheger project implementation highly inspired the government to emulate them across the nation at a grand scale.
Accordingly, the premier initiated another round of Dine for Nation project with a view to developing three new world-class tourist sites in Gorgora, Wonchi and Koyisha. The projects are endowed with enormous natural, cultural and historical endowments to take Ethiopia’s tourism to new heights.
Gorogora in Amhara, Wonchi in Oromia, and, Koisha in Southern regional states are ideal places, identified for their tourist potentials in Ethiopia. Apart from ecotourism perspective, the projects exhibit linking between Ethiopia’s Climate Resilient Green Economy Policy and the national greening strategies, and nature based researches in various spheres.
The projects
are well in progress and are nearing completion. Last May, 2023, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed inaugurated Hallala Kella Resort, which is part of the ‘Dine for Nation’ project. Launching the first phase of the Halala Kella cluster section of the Koysha National Project on 21 February 2021, Prime Minister Abiy described the site as captivating place with breathtaking scenery and dynamic history and culture.
Similarly, the ‘Elephant Paw Lodge’, a cluster of Chebera Churchura National Park, which the prime minister initiated will be inaugurated on Saturday. The ‘Elephant Paw Lodge’ is part of the Koysha project.
The success of Dine for Sheger and Dine for Nation projects within a short period of time are clear manifestations of Ethiopia’s new journey to be the beacon of prosperity.
Source: Ethioipian News Agency
