Agreements were signed between African Wildlife Capital, a mission-based investment company, and a British- Ethiopian venture for the purpose of building world class boutique hotel in Ethiopia’s Simien Mountains National Park.
The newly to be built lodge is dubbed Limalimo Lodge and said to offer high-end accommodation, tailor-made activities, and gourmet cuisine in one of the most beautiful places in the world.
Limalimo is scheduled to be opened on fall of 2015 and is funded by African Wildlife Capital with U.S $ 1 Billion.
Shiferaw Asrat, CEO of Limalimo Lodge, along with African Wildlife Capital, African Wildlife Foundation, and the Ethiopian Wildlife and Conservation Authority said, "we can develop long-term, sustainable conservation practices in the Simien Mountains and showcase the potential for well-managed tourism projects in Ethiopia”.
Simien Mountain National Park was listed as a World Heritage Site in 1978 by UNESCO and it gives dramatic mountain scenery with a wide variety of endemic fauna and flora, including the Gelada monkey and the Walia Ibex, a type of mountain goat.
The area is said to be under a great threat from livestock grazing and agricultural sprawl. Nonetheless, African Wildlife Capital hopes to improve conservation around Simien Mountains through its investment in sustainable tourism.
Commenting on this Investment Manager of African Wildlife Capital, Giles Davies, said “We have seen how lodges like Limalimo can play a key role in the conservation of sensitive areas such as the Simien Mountains National Park”.
“In Ethiopia, tourism is still in its infancy but is growing fast, and rarely have we been able to engage in a country during this stage of tourism development."
"The Simien Mountains, a key tourist destination in the country, will benefit, both from a socioeconomic and conservation perspective, from a well-managed and thoughtfully constructed lodge such as Limalimo.”
Solomon Tadesse, Director for Ethiopian Tourism Organization, on his part acknowledged the benefits the lodge will derive and added it is a tremendous investment for Ethiopia. He furthered, “This public-private partnership will create jobs for the local community as well as improve Ethiopia’s national parks”.
Source: Ethiopian News Agency
