Challenges and Prospects of Ethiopian Tourism Industry

Abstract

Tourism is a circulation of people who travel to or stay in places outside their home country. It has being believed as a major ingredient in the economic development strategy. Ethiopia possesses numerous natural, religious, historical, non-natural and cultural tourism attractions; economic contribution and its potential are incomparable. However, various external and internal factors have been affecting the sustainable development of the tourism industry in Ethiopia. Shortage of tourist facilities, lack of skillful human resources, weak promotion, lack of integration and political will are the major negatively contributing forces. Although Ethiopia possesses massive tourism development potentials with its unique biodiversity and spectacular topographic features, its economic contribution to the country is unmatched. A solution could be the implementation of a tourism tax; these taxes can be used to fund the continuous development and improvement of its tourism markets. Thus, relieving the country of the stigma relying on foreign money to help its own industry and giving full of tourist facilities, skillful human resources, promotion, socio-cultural and political will for the tourists.