The Ethiopian government officially inaugurated the Tourism Transformation Council and the Ethiopian Tourism Organization, entities established under the Council of Ministers Regulation No. 294/2013.

At a ceremony held inside the African Union, Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn made official the establishment of the new entities touted to be instrumental in transforming Ethiopia’s tourism industry, Walta Information Center reported.

“It is imperative to coordinate the activities of the various stakeholders in the tourism industry to promote and develop the sector,” Hailemariam said during the occasion.

The council, whose members are drawn from federal and regional government institutions, the private sector, associations and religious institutions, is tasked with providing leadership and directions to the tourism industry.

“For a long time, our country has been negatively portrayed internationally,” Hailemariam said. “This is quickly changing and we need to sustain our efforts to positively portray the image of the country,” he said.

Ethiopia leads Africa with its nine UNESCO registered World Heritage Sites, however, the country’s underdeveloped tourism industry is ranked 120th globally and 17th in Africa. Under the growth and transformation plan, the government aims to make the country one of the top tourist destinations in Africa.

The number of tourists visiting the country is growing by 10 percent annually while revenue from the sector shows a 20 percent growth, according Walta.

Source: Walta Information Center