The hotel rating assessment project launched in Ethiopia has failed due to the absence of prior preparation according to Sisay Teklu, Coordinator of Tourism Services Competence Accreditation Directorate with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Hoteliers had their facilities rated unexpectedly as part of the requirement for a competence certificate put into place by the Ministry of Trade last year.

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism has been evaluating the assessment reports for the last months before coming to the decision to discard the project.

The ministry is studying the shortcomings faced by the assessment at the time because ratifying the ratings as per the current report would undermine the image of hotels in the country and the nation as a whole he said.

The ministry is however still committed to the plan to rate hotels in the country although the project has been postponed while the groundwork for a more accurate system is laid said Sisay.

The MoCT has forwarded its hotel rating criteria to the World Tourism Organization, to compare the assessment with internationally established standards, and is waiting on their report noted Sisay.

Representatives from the World Tourism Organization are expected to come to Ethiopia to perform field assessments he said.

The ministry will then modify the criteria they develop to the domestic requirements before launching the rating assessment afresh Sisay concluded.  

Source: The Reporter