Marketing Strategy for Wildlife Tourism in Ethiopia

Marketing Strategy for Wildlife Tourism in Ethiopia

Development of a Marketing Strategy for Wildlife Tourism in Ethiopia

Draft Final Report

Findings of the Development Team:

Martyn Murray and Biniyam Admassu

Prepared for EWCA Ethiopia

27 th January 2013

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Come to Ethiopia’s National Parks

You can see much farther by climbing to a high place

5 Marketing Strategy for Wildlife Tourism in Ethiopia

Development of a Marketing Strategy for Wildlife Tourism in Ethiopia

Table of Contents

1. INTRODUCTION ...... 9 1.1 TOURISM POLICIES ...... 9 1.2 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY ...... 10 1.3 CONSULTANT ’S APPROACH ...... 10 2. STATE OF WILDLIFE HERITAGE...... 12 2.1 BIODIVERSITY ...... 12 2.2 PROTECTED AREAS ...... 12 2.2.1 Categories of Protected Area ...... 12 2.2.2 Distribution of Protected Areas ...... 14 2.2.3 Management Authorities ...... 15 3. STATE OF WILDLIFE TOURISM ...... 17 3.1 TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN PROTECTED AREAS ...... 17 3.2 VISITORS TO ETHIOPIA ’S PROTECTED AREAS ...... 18 4. DEVELOPING A MARKETING STRATEGY ...... 20 4.1 WILDLIFE TOURISM IN ETHIOPIA ...... 20 4.2 SWOT ANALYSIS OF PA S AS TOURIST DESTINATIONS ...... 20 4.3 MARKETING WILDLIFE TOURISM ...... 23 4.4 SELECTION OF PROTECTED AREAS ...... 24 4.5 WILDLIFE TOURISM CIRCUITS ...... 25 5. DEVELOPING TOURISM PRODUCTS AND SERVICES ...... 26 5.1 INTRODUCTION ...... 26 5.2 DEVELOPMENT OF WILDLIFE TOURISM PRODUCTS ...... 27 5.2.1 Montane and Afroalpine PAs ...... 27 5.2.2 Rift Valley PAs ...... 28 5.2.3 South-Western Migratory Ecosystem ...... 36 5.3 PROTECTED AREAS AND CLUSTER TOURISM ...... 38 5.3.1 Introduction ...... 38 5.3.2 Products outside the park ...... 39 5.3.3 Wildlife Tourism Circuits ...... 40 5.3.4 Specialist Circuits ...... 41 6. INFORMATION PRODUCTS FOR WILDLIFE TOURISM ...... 44 6.1 INFORMATION PRODUCTS ...... 44 6.2 PUBLISHING AND DISTRIBUTING ...... 45 6.3 MONITORING AND EVALUATION ...... 46 6.3.1 Tourism data compilation ...... 46 6.3.2 Trip Evaluation form ...... 46 6.3.3 Planning system ...... 46

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7. MARKETING AND BRANDING ...... 48 7.1 BRAND AND BRANDING ...... 48 7.1.1 Logo, Tagline and Slogan ...... 48 7.2 WILDLIFE TOURISM MARKETING AND IMAGE ENHANCEMENT ...... 49 7.2.1 The Unique Mammals...... 49 7.2.2 Diversity of Birds ...... 50 7.2.3 Flowers of Africa ...... 50 7.3 BRANDING WILDLIFE ...... 50 7.4 DEVELOPING MATERIALS FOR MARKETING WILDLIFE TOURISM ...... 51 7.5 MARKET LAUNCH ...... 53 7.5.1 Meeting of Tour Operators and Traders ...... 53 7.5.2 Training of Stakeholders on Tourism Products ...... 54 7.5.3 Bird Watching and Training of Guides ...... 54 7.5.4 ‘Fam Trip’ for Outbound Tour Operators ...... 54 7.5.5 Trailer Video for Ethiopian Airlines ...... 55 7.5.6 Tourism Trade Fairs...... 55 7.5.7 Advertising ...... 55 7.6 RECOGNITION AND AWARDING (R&A) ...... 55 7.7 TOURISM PRODUCT PRICE ...... 56 7.7.1 Admission to Parks - Price Review ...... 56 7.7.2 Recommended Price of Entry to Ethiopian Protected Areas ...... 59 7.8 LOW -VOLUME , HIGH -VALUE TOURISM ? ...... 59 8. CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES ...... 61 8.1 IMPROVING PARK MANAGEMENT IN SUPPORT OF TOURISM ...... 61 8.1.2 Road Maintenance ...... 61 8.1.3 Vehicle Maintenance ...... 61 8.1.4 Vegetation Management ...... 62 8.1.5 Training in Tourism Services ...... 62 8.2 CONNECTING TOURISM TO THE COMMUNITY ...... 63 8.2.1 Benefit Sharing ...... 63 8.2.2 Regulation of Community Tourism Services ...... 64 8.2.3 Use of guidelines and systems developed by FZS/BMNP ...... 64 8.2.4 Illegal grazing and farming ...... 65 8.3 COST OF TOURISM PRODUCTS ...... 65 8.3.1 Park Budgets and Core Activities ...... 65 8.4 PRIVATE SECTOR PARTNERSHIP ...... 66 9. IMPLEMENTATION OF MARKETING STRATEGY ...... 67 9.1 INTRODUCTION ...... 67 9.2 ONE YEAR PLAN – DEVELOPING WILDLIFE TOURISM CIRCUITS ...... 70 1. Wildlife Tourism Circuits ...... 70 2. Joint Planning Meeting for Wildlife Tourism Development ...... 71 3. Training Workshop for Preparing 1-Year Tourism Development Plans ...... 72 4. Implementation of TDPs and Monitoring ...... 73 5. Information and Marketing ...... 73 9.3 FIVE-YEAR IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FOR WILDLIFE TOURISM ...... 74 1. Introduction to Flagship Parks ...... 74 2. Policy on Best Practice in Developing Parks ...... 74 3. Selection of Flagship Parks ...... 74 4. 5-Year Programme of Tourism Product Development ...... 77

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ANNEXES ...... 80 ANNEX 1 TERMS OF REFERENCE ...... 81 ANNEX 2. LIST OF PERSONS CONSULTED ...... 84 ANNEX 3. ITINERARY OF FIELD MISSIONS ...... 85 ANNEX 4. TOUR OPERATORS IN ETHIOPIA ...... 85 ANNEX 5. ASSESSMENT OF CHEBERA CHURCHURA NATIONAL PARK ...... 88 ANNEX 6. ASSESSMENT OF LOKA ABAYA NATIONAL PARK ...... 94

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1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Tourism Policies Many of the national parks and sanctuaries of Ethiopia have suffered from years of human-wildlife conflict and neglect; consequently few people appreciate that they once ranked at the highest level in the world as wildlife destinations. In some parks the neglect continues but in others there are signs of life. Protected areas are being revitalized in Ethiopia. The process has been slow and subject to many reversals but progress is being made in a few particular parks. The twin engines driving change are a widening appreciation of the role of tourism in the economy of the nation, and a slow awakening to the value of her natural heritage. Many understand at a deeper level that in losing the wild places of Ethiopia, we would risk losing the nation’s soul which unites all peoples and maintains harmony. EWCA’s vision for the future is to secure the nation’s natural heritage through the instrument of tourism development. By raising the quality of visitor attractions in its parks and sanctuaries, it sees an opportunity to raise the number of visitors and the standard of wildlife conservation. EWCA is mandated for wildlife management, including wildlife tourism, through the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MOCT) which is responsible for developing and promoting the tourism products of Ethiopia within the country and internationally. In performing this role, MOCT works closely with different national and international stakeholders to publicize the country's tourist attractions and encourage the development of tourism facilities. It licenses and supervises tourist facilities such as park lodges and tour operators and at the same time it is responsible for promoting and preserving the living, physical and cultural expressions of nature. Most relevant to EWCA’s vision for park development through tourism are the following sub-articles of Art. 31 of Proclamation No. 691/2010, which restructures all ministries of the Federal Government: 8 “promote widely the country's tourist attractions and its positive image on the world tourism market, and encourage domestic tourism; 9 ensure that the country's tourist attractions are identified, properly developed and organized, tourist facilities are expanded, and that local communities share the benefits derived from tourism; 10 facilitate the studying and preservation of the country's natural heritages and the development and utilization of them as tourist attractions; ensure the proper management of wildlife conservation areas designated to be administered by the federal government; 11 set and supervise the enforcement of standards for tourist facilities;

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14 collect compile and disseminate information on culture and tourism.”

EWCA’s own Vision Statement is as follows:

“To be one of the top five best African Countries in 2020, in terms of wildlife tourism destination.”

This bold vision provides the overarching context of the tourism marketing strategy. Throughout the process of strategy development, the Consultants kept EWCA’s vision in mind.

1.2 Objectives of the Study The formal objective of this work (as provided in the Consultants’ Terms of Reference, see Annex 1) was as follows:

“to assess and develop a marketing strategy for positioning Ethiopian protected areas in the world market as one of the prime destinations for eco-tourism”

Specific objectives of the study were as follows: 1. Develop a strategy to enhance quality of tourism products and services; 2. Suggest mechanisms to lengthen tourist stay in protected areas; 3. Identify how and which media are appropriate to promote Ethiopian protected area products in the target markets; 4. Identify and recommend appropriate marketing and promotional strategies for protected area resources; 5. Develop a strategy for positioning Ethiopian protected areas in the world market as one of the prime destinations for eco-tourism.

As can be seen, the first two specific objectives are concerned with improving the visitor experience within protected areas, the third and fourth objectives are concerned with promotion and marketing of protected areas for tourism and the last objective is the development of the marketing strategy.

1.3 Consultant’s Approach Essentially the task requested of the Consultants was to define a roadmap that plotted a course for EWCA and its partners to follow in transforming the nation’s protected areas from their current under-developed state into prime destinations for wildlife tourists. In order to understand the full scope of this task, the Consultants undertook two missions (28 Nov – 6 Dec 2012; 3-7 January 2013) in support of developing a Southern Wildlife Circuit and a South Eastern Wildlife Circuit. A list of persons consulted in the parks and sanctuaries, Addis Ababa, Awassa and Edinburgh is provided in Annex 2. An itinerary of the two field missions to assess the Southern and South-Eastern Wildlife Circuits is provided in Annex 3.

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During the field missions, particular attention was given to assessing the potential for tourism product development within the national parks and sanctuaries visited. Both Consultants also had recent site-knowledge of other national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in the country giving them a broad and up-to-date picture of the parks, their wildlife status, tourism status, park-management issues, community issues and wider setting in the geographical and socio-economic landscape from which to develop park-specific development plans, wildlife circuit development plans and the marketing strategy itself. The Consultants have taken the view that the roadmap should be a practical document. In the first year of implementation, they recommend utilising existing resources – manpower, skills, associates, infrastructure, park budgets and of course the parks themselves – to raise the quality of wildlife tourism products and services which can then be promoted to inbound tour operators and tourism traders. Following these improvements in the first year, investment partners will be invited to visit six flagship parks to consider joint tourism development opportunities identified in dedicated 5-year tourism development plans . More ambitious wildlife tourism products will be co-developed with the investment partners in years 2-4. A major market launch for inbound and outbound tour operators and tourism traders will take place in year 4 in order to present the improved wildlife circuits, parks and tourism products on offer in Ethiopia. This roadmap is intended to plot the way forward. It provides practical and detailed guidance for year one, and a longer-term plan with milestones covering years one to five. In following the route laid out in the roadmap, EWCA will no doubt encounter many difficulties before reaching the final outcome – ‘Ethiopia recognised as one of the exclusive club of African countries offering top wildlife tourism destinations’. Overcoming those difficulties will require resolve, leadership, steady nerves, patience, diplomacy and hard work. The Consultants wish all concerned every fortune in achieving their inspiring goal.

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2. STATE OF WILDLIFE HERITAGE

2.1 Biodiversity The main interest of many tourists that visit Africa is to view large mammals in great variety, large numbers and at close proximity. Although the variety of large animals in Ethiopia is large, their numbers are depressed in many parks and sanctuaries following years of inadequate protection. Consequently the visitor experience today cannot compare with the wildlife spectacles greeting visitors on safari in Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. This can change considerably, once effective management comes into place. The variety of species and their uniqueness in Africa is one of the great attractions of Ethiopia’s wildlife heritage. With about 320 species of mammal including 36 endemics, Ethiopia has one of the most diverse mammalian faunas in Africa. We have suggested celebrating this diversity in a national wildlife brand “Ethiopia – Home of the Unique Seven” which refers to seven distinctive and endemic large mammals found only in Ethiopia: Ethiopian wolf; giant mole-rat mountain nyala, walia ibex, Menelik’s bushbuck, Swayne’s Hartebeest, gelada and Bale Monkey. The avifauna is equally rich with more than 860 species of birds registered for the country of which 18 are endemic, making Ethiopia one of the prime bird-watching destinations. Reptiles and amphibians also include many endemics whilst 41 of the 150 species of freshwater fish living in Ethiopia are endemic

2.2 Protected Areas Ethiopia has some of the most magnificent national parks and wildlife resources in Africa which have both national and global value; in order to ensure their long-term preservation, any utilisation of these resources must be sustainable. Over the years, wildlife has declined drastically and many of Ethiopia’s natural ecosystems have been seriously degraded. Several categories of protected areas have been established in order to protect and conserve the natural ecosystems and wildlife heritage of the country.

2.2.1 Categories of Protected Area Several categories of protected area are recognised in Ethiopia of which the national parks and controlled hunting areas are the most numerous (Table 1):

Table 1. Protected Wildlife Areas of Ethiopia

Category of Protected Area Number

National Park 20 Wildlife Sanctuary 3

Wildlife Reserve 2 Controlled Hunting Area 17

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In addition there are Open Hunting Areas and Community Conservation Areas. Combining all categories of protected areas, approximately 17% of the total land surface is protected which is relatively high (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Land surface area that is within protected areas (IUCN Categories I - VI) of Ethiopia and some of its neighbours 1

However much of this is forest land that is now widely used for cultivation, grazing, fuel wood and construction. Restricting the comparison to category I and II protected areas (i.e. National Parks and Wilderness Areas) approximately 2.7% of the land surface is protected at this level which is lower than its neighbour but still compares reasonably (Figure 2). Even this figure is high as some category I & II protected areas are extensively degraded by cattle grazing and farming. Clearly Ethiopia has some distance to go in reclaiming its former status as a country with a well-protected wildlife heritage.

1 data extracted from EarthTrends (2003) country profiles

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Figure 2. Land surface area that is within National Parks (IUCN Categories I & II) of Ethiopia and some of its neighbours 1

2.2.2 Distribution of Protected Areas Looking more closely at the distribution of protected areas, it can be seen that they incorporate nearly all major habitat types found in the country (Map. 1). The biogeography of Ethiopia is characterised by four distinct regions: Highlands, Rift Valley, Western Lowlands and Eastern Arid Areas. The extensive highlands of Ethiopia are unique in Africa and home to a high proportion of endemics. The Rift Valley is arguably better developed in Ethiopia than in any other African country: it contains spectacular landscapes, lakes and forests with highly diverse communities of plants and animals, and many volcanic features. The Western Lowlands includes a large migratory population of white-eared kob which migrates to and from Boma National Park in South Sudan. Approximately half a million animals may migrate making this second only to the Serengeti wildebeest migration in terms of the number of African ungulates migrating. The Eastern Arid Areas including the Ogaden with a high number of endemic species in this ancient arid area. The Ethiopian highlands contain three protected areas including Bale Mountains and Simien Mountains NPs; the Rift Valley has no fewer than 15 protected areas from Yangudi-Rasa NP in the north to Omo NP in the south. The western lowland parks include Gambela NP with its migratory ecosystem.

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Map 1. The Protected Areas of Ethiopia. Note the many PAs in the Rift Valley which bisects the country from northeast to southwest, separating two large highland areas, one represented by Simien Mountains National Park and the other by Bale Mountains National Park.

2.2.3 Management Authorities Thirteen national parks and sanctuaries in Ethiopia are federal and managed by EWCA. These are: the Simien Mountains National Park, Bale Mountains National Park, Awash National Park, Nech-Sar National Park, Gambela National Park, Alatish National Park, Kafta Shiraro National Park, Geralle National Park, Omo National Park, Abjata Shala National Park, Yangudi-rass National Park, Senkelle Hartebeest Sanctuary and Babille Elephant Sanctuary. In addition nineteen national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and reserves are managed by regional authorities (Table 3).

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Table 3. Management Authority for Protected Areas Management Authority Number of PAs Federal (EWCA) 13 SNNPR 10 Amhara Region 6 Oromia Region 3

As can be seen, three regions have an important role in managing Ethiopia’s PAs (SNNPR, Oromia and Amhara). SNNPR has outstanding importance with 10 protected areas in its territory; five of them are national parks under its direct management (Chebera Churchura, Gibe Sheleko, Loka Abaya, Mago & Maze). This makes it a key partner for EWCA in developing a Southern Wildlife Tourism Circuit.

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3. STATE OF WILDLIFE TOURISM

3.1 Tourism Development in Protected Areas The decline of Ethiopia’s protected areas began with the encroachment and destruction of Park’s property associated with the transition between the imperial and Derg governments (1973-74), and again in the transition between the Derg and EPRDF governments (1990-1991). It is continuing today particularly with respect to the competition between cattle, sugar factories and wildlife for use of traditional dry season grazing land. It is not just the conservation value of the parks that has been affected, their tourism value (attractiveness, interest, comfort and safety for visitors) has also declined. The status of some premier national parks has reached or is reaching a crisis point. Examples include Abijata-Shala N.P., Awash N.P., Omo N.P. and Yabello National Park. If they deteriorate much further there is a high risk that they will not be recoverable in future. Over the past five years, federal Government has attempted to reverse this trend with the help and commitment of international aid donors. There have been some notable but isolated successes, especially in Bale Mountains and Simien Mountains National Parks. In addition, some of the regions such as SNNPR have shown their commitment to the natural heritage by establishing several new national parks. Government has indicated that it is now intent on improving the conservation status of its protected areas and wishes to develop the wildlife tourism sector. EWCA is determined to make the most of this opportunity, and is leading the recovery process. It has a major task in front of it as revealed by an assessment of tourism developments in the PA network (Table 4).

Table 4. Level of tourism developments in parks and sanctuaries of Ethiopia. Quality of tourism developments Number of PAs Good 3 Partially developed (many gaps) 4 Undeveloped 12

Only three of the parks and sanctuaries have tourism products and services that are rated as good (BMNP, SMNP and Senkelle Hartebeest Sanctuary). This rating indicates that these parks, as an overall destination for wildlife tourists, offer good value. However, they may fall a long way short of being excellent all-round parks. More specifically, it means that they have some tourism products that are rated as good and a few of these may be rated as excellent, for instance horse trekking in the mountain parks. Furthermore, it indicates that if conservation management problems are present, they do not at present significantly undermine the quality of the visitor’s experience. None of the parks in Ethiopia are currently rated as excellent overall as regards tourism value. In other words, there is room to improve tourism products in even the

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best known parks. This is especially so when it comes to the quality of services on offer at lodges and campsites. In addition, almost all Ethiopian protected areas could do with improved conservation management and stronger community relations. Four of the protected areas in Ethiopia offer tourism products that are rated as ‘partially developed’. These parks provide some good (or rarely excellent) tourism products. However significant improvements need to be made to the tourist accommodation on offer, and to related services. It may be necessary to establish new visitor accommodation or to put existing accommodation under more expert private management. Furthermore, there may be a need to diversify the existing tourism products, for instance by developing walking safaris, night game drives, waterhole viewing points or other new tourism products. Management problems inside these parks, especially illegal grazing, farming and hunting of wildlife, undermine the quality of the visitor’s wilderness experience. Specific examples of such problems are listed in Section 5.

3.2 Visitors to Ethiopia’s Protected Areas One positive trend which lends support to EWCA’s vision for its parks is that visitor numbers have been increasing over the past several years across the network of protected areas (Table 5). This reflects the rise in visitors to Ethiopia overall. Visitor numbers may also have been boosted by Government’s investment in new asphalt roads around the country which has cut the journey time to many protected areas. Access to some of the remote parks is also facilitated by an excellent internal flight service with Ethiopian Airlines.

Table 5. Visitors to Ethiopian Protected Areas (2010-2012) with projected figures to 2020. ------2010 2011 2012 2013 2017 2020 All visitors: 62,915 79,926 83,316 95,813* 167,578* 254,864* 104,000 + 254,000 + 496,000 +

Foreign visitors: 39,266 50,261 51,269 59,370* 103,838* 157,924* 74,000 + 181,000 + 353,000 +

Total income: 6.451 8.857 8.654 9.950* 17.400* 26.463* (million birrs) 10.800 + 26.400 + 51.500 + ------*assuming 15% growth rate (Vreugdenhil et al 2012) + assuming a target growth rate of 25%.

As part of their recent analysis of the protected area system in Ethiopia 2, the report’s authors propose a 15% future growth target for numbers of visitors in protected areas. They regarded this as a challenging but achievable target. Looking at the figures set

2 Vreugdenhil et al 2012. Gap Analysis of the Protected Areas System of Ethiopia. EWCA/WICE.

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out in Table 5, by 2020 this would correspond to a quarter of a million tourists to the parks bringing a direct income to government of 26.4 million birr or approximately US$1.5 million. If we compare this to the tourism receipt in other East African countries, we see that Ethiopia has a long way to go. In Tanzania, the receipt for 2011 was US$1302 million (one thousand times more), most of which derived from visitors to protected areas. Clearly the 15% growth target will not achieve the vision of EWCA to be one of the top five best African Countries in 2020, as a wildlife tourism destination. With a more ambitious target of 25% growth rate per annum, the number of visitors to protected areas in Ethiopia will reach 500,000 by 2020 (see figures in blue in Table 5) bringing an income of 50 million birr (approaching US$3 million). This does not place Ethiopia in the top five wildlife tourism destinations in Africa but it does narrow the gap. By taking a significant share of the international wildlife and ecotourism market, it would establish Ethiopia’s entry into the high-end club of countries taking wildlife tourism seriously. It would alert the major investors in wildlife tourism that Ethiopia was a country with new and exciting opportunities.

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4. DEVELOPING A MARKETING STRATEGY

4.1 Wildlife Tourism in Ethiopia Three categories of wildlife tourism can be discerned in many African countries, including Ethiopia: Safari Tourism, Ecotourism, and Recreational Tourism. Safari Tourism is the classic African tour of national parks; it appeals to a large public that is interested in viewing large mammals and colourful birds in a wild and exotic landscape, and at the same time enjoying comfortable accommodation good food and a range of nature tourism products. These products range from the luxury end, with its emphasis on high quality lodges and tourist facilities, to the budget-conscious self-drive visitor who seeks wilderness camps with comfort and exciting road networks, to the adventure-seeker who enjoys a range of more challenging pursuits such as pony trekking in the mountains, walking safaris, hot-air ballooning, canoeing, white-water rafting, forest-canopy walkways and nocturnal game drives. Many of these wildlife visitors will also be interested in the cultural heritage of Ethiopia opening the way for integrated cultural and natural heritage tourism. Ecotourism includes specialty tours for birdwatchers, sport fishermen, speleologists (those who enjoy exploring caves and their wildlife), botanists, flowering plant enthusiasts, other naturalists and those with an in-depth interest in certain aspects of wildlife, landscape or geology. Recreational tourism appeals to residents and citizens who seek the joys of the countryside at weekends and holidays, whether for peace and tranquillity, sport and physical exercise, or an outdoor barbecue. The important thing is that the park should be reasonably near to the city.

4.2 SWOT Analysis of PAs as Tourist Destinations The quality of protected areas in Ethiopia can be assessed by SWOT analysis to better understand their status as tourism destinations. In undertaking this analysis below, we are not asking about the success of the protected areas in conserving wildlife and biodiversity: we are examining the performance of the PAs in attracting and satisfying wildlife tourists. We are also interested in assessing opportunities that may exist for improving parks and sanctuaries according to this same criterion – as wildlife tourism destinations.

Strengths The following are some of the more important wildlife and related attractions of Ethiopia: • World class Afromontane landscapes • World class Rift Valley landscapes • World class kob migration at Gambela NP • Old growth forests including spectacular groundwater forests • Rift valley lakes with outstanding wetlands and lake birds • Hot mineral-rich springs • Spectacular waterfalls – both long narrow falls and wide curtain falls

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• Outstanding geological features including many volcanic features • High diversity of wildlife, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, freshwater fish and vascular plants that are of great interest to the visiting public. • Distinctive and endemic animals, such as the Ethiopian Wolf, Gelada, Mountain Nyala, Blue-Winged Goose, Yellow-Fronted Parrot, Bale Mountains Heather Chameleon and Bale Mountains Frog. • Unique flowering plants and wild food plants including for example the Abyssinian Rose, Red-hot Pokers and giant Ericas. • The Protected Area network represents most habitats of Ethiopia. The parks individually and together protect a very wide range of the attractions listed here. • Good access to many of the protected areas on a growing network of asphalt roads or by and excellent in-country flight service.

Weaknesses A major weakness in the parks for tourists is the lack of visibility of wildlife. This arises from the depleted populations of large mammals in many areas due to a combination of illegal hunting and disturbance, and the fact that those individual wild animals remaining tend to by wary of people. Another part of the problem is that many of the parks have tall grasslands and dense thickets which by their nature greatly restrict visibility, making for disappointing game viewing. These parks in a pristine state would have large populations of the largest mammals (the mega-fauna of Africa) such as elephant, buffalo, hippo and black rhino. The impact of browsing, grazing and trampling by the mega-fauna is to open up the thickets and tall grass. These clearings provide good game-viewing and support new growth of vegetation that attracts the smaller species of ungulate. It is important not to overstate the problem. Some parks have good populations of large mammals that can be viewed easily, especially in the dry season – BMNP, SMNP, GNP and SHS for instance.

We may summarise the weaknesses as follows: • Dense vegetation with poor visibility in many parks • Low numbers of large mammals reduce the interest of game drives • Many large mammals are wary of people • Cattle are found in many parks, often in large numbers • Tracks of some parks are in a poor state of repair • Visitor infrastructure is often in a run-down state • Visitor centres contain little new information often relying on old museum collections of skins and skulls • Some campsites are dirty and lack clean toilet facilities • High-end camps and lodges are virtually non-existent • Lack of park management capacity in many protected areas.

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Opportunities Fortunately there are many opportunities available to improve the status of protected areas for visiting wildlife tourists. One of the most obvious opportunities is the much larger number of tourists attracted to the cultural heritage – both historical and living – that abound in Ethiopia. These tourists are often visiting cultural sites near to national parks and in some instances, such as at Mago National Park, their access to the cultural sites takes them right through a national park. If the tourism products within these parks can be improved, the tour operators organising cultural tourism will be happy to include overnight visits to the parks. Some of the opportunities are listed below: • Cultural tourists are already in the country and a ready market for an upgraded parks service. Initially joint cultural and natural heritage tours could be promoted. • African safari tourism has grown into a huge industry in East African and southern African states. Tour operators compete for private clients and are always on the lookout for new high-quality products. • Visibility in parks with tall grass and bushy thickets can be greatly improved by early burns in which management creates patches of young growth along the main tracks used by tourists. • Visibility in tall grassland can also be improved locally around campsites, along foot trails and at viewpoints by cutting back grass manually; • There are many opportunities for new low-cost tourism products (see Chapter 5) including the following: o walking safaris o night game drives o waterhole viewing points o lake-based tourism o interpreted forest trails o habituated monkey troops o imaginative guiding.

Threats The threats to wildlife tourism in Ethiopia are embedded within the main causes of neglect that have allowed the Parks to degrade over the past several decades. Perhaps the primary threat arises from a lack of value associated with wildlife in parts of Ethiopian society. In the past, it has not received equivalent status as the historical and cultural bases of tourism. A second threat has been previous episodes in which management authority for parks has passed between the federal and regional governments. At times, the parks have been left for periods without effective management. There are good indications that federal and regional governments are now seeking to rectify past failings. However these underlying problems have not yet been fully resolved and remain as threats in the future. Some of the threats facing sustainable development of wildlife tourism in Ethiopia are as follows: • Lack of value attached to wildlife and parks; • Lack of practical park-management expertise in many parks; • Insufficient coordination between EWCA and Regional Park Authorities;

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• Insufficient funds and/or political will to resolve problems of illegal grazing and farming within protected areas.

4.3 Marketing Wildlife Tourism The Consultants were faced with a Chicken-and-Egg dilemma. Should they recommend a programme of park improvements first, and market the parks to tour operators second – and risk no-change because the park improvements never get completed; or should they recommend a programme of marketing parks first with park improvements second – and risk no-change because the first tourists report back negatively (they see no animals and accommodation is poor). We have chosen to solve this dilemma by breaking it down into two stages.

Our recommended approach to marketing protected areas is contained within the following two programmes (1-year and 5-year) which should be pursued simultaneously as described in Section 9:

• One Year Timeframe – Rapid Improvement Programme 3 o Prepare 1-Year Tourism Development Plans for 13 selected PAs. o Improve existing tourism products using currently available resources. o Introduce new tourism products using currently available resources. o Establish new wildlife tourism circuits (Section 5.3.3) o Produce information materials on the new wildlife tourism circuits and park products to a high international standard of quality. o Use the new information materials to market the new wildlife circuits and parks to national tour operators. This should take place after six months of programme implementation. o Monitor the quality of tourism products in the parks. o Monitor feedback from tour operators.

• Five Year Timeframe – Advanced Tourism Products Programme 4 o Prepare 5-Year Tourism Development Plans for each of five flagship or premium parks. o Invite potential development partners to visit the flagship parks to view opportunities for investing in exciting new tourism products – “Fam- Trip 1” for investors. o With assistance from the private sector and international aid donors, develop improved products with particular attention given to upgrading lodge accommodation and campsites. Implementation in years 2-4. o Diversify tourism products in the parks.

3 The 1-year programme is described in detail in Section 9.2. Examples of improvements to existing wildlife products in 8 parks and sanctuaries are provided in Section 5. These improvements can be made using currently resources (or in some cases with small supplements to current resources). 4 The 5-year programme is described in detail in Section 9.3.

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o Develop wildlife tourism promotional materials at the highest international standard, including: dedicated web portal with social media links, complete field guide and visitor handbook, geotourism map-guide, and illustrated circuit maps. o Promote the new circuits and park products with an emphasis on the top-end tourism market. Target inbound and outbound tour operators and travel trade partners. Conduct a “Market Launch” followed by “Fam Trip 2” for outbound tour operators.

4.4 Selection of Protected Areas In developing the protected areas of Ethiopia as tourist destinations, we propose that EWCA focus on three major wildlife attractions: (a) The unique montane and Afroalpine Habitats; (b) the Great Rift Valley; and (c) the Transboundary Migratory Ecosystem in the vicinity of Gambela. By concentrating activities in selected PAs, good progress will be made in developing and marketing tourism products and services. The selected sites can then be used as models for subsequent development of additional protected areas. In the One Year Timeframe – Rapid Improvement Programme , we have selected thirteen PAs: two from the Afromontane regions, one (Gambela NP) for the kob migration, and ten from the Rift Valley in recognition of their importance in the PA network of the country. Rift Valley parks are receiving relatively little support from the donor community and government, so we have provided details of how to develop tourism products at these parks using currently available resources (Section 5). We have selected six flagship parks for the Five Year Timeframe – Advanced Tourism Products Programme. We have retained the two Afromontane parks and Gambela NP in the west, and then reduced the Rift Valley parks to just three – Nech- Sar NP, Chebera Churchura NP and Senkelle Hartebeest Sanctuary. The rationale behind selecting just six parks is to focus all resources available at EWCA and its partners in the effort to raise the standard of tourism products within those parks to a high international level in years 2-4 of the five-year programme. This is a key part of the strategy of launching Ethiopia as a top player in the Safari tourism business.

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Table 6. Parks Selected for Tourism Development (One-Year Programme)

Ecological Region Focal Protected Areas Montane & Afroalpine Bale Mountains National Park; Simien Mountains National Park Rift Valley Alledeghi Wildlife Reserve Awash National Park Chebera Churchura National Park Loka Abaya National Park Mago National Park Maze National Park Nech-Sar National Park Senkelle Hartebeest Sanctuary Wilshet-Sala Controlled Hunting Area ?? Yabello National Park South-Western Migratory Ecosystem Gambela National Park

4.5 Wildlife Tourism Circuits We emphasize the need to develop wildlife tourism circuits in addition to the individual park developments. We recommend beginning with a Southern Wildlife Circuit (SWC) and a South-Eastern Wildlife Circuit (SEWC) . They will incorporate most of the parks that are being developed in the One Year Timeframe – Rapid Improvement Programme. These circuits will be developed with routes, viewpoints, park destinations and activities (Section 5). Three specialist circuits will also be developed (Section 5.3.4): a Unique Seven Circuit will give those on the tour an opportunity to observe the distinctive mammals of Ethiopia; a 500 Bird Circuit will give tour members the opportunity to see a large number of Ethiopia’s birds including many endemics; and a Flowers of Africa Circuit will give those on the tour an opportunity to observe many of the distinctive and beautiful flowers of Ethiopia. The purpose of developing the circuits as ‘tourism cluster assets’ (with routes and viewpoints) is to provide unity to their marketing and promotion which will enhance visitors experience and increase visitation. The process will consist of identifying the tourism products of the protected areas and the best routes and viewpoints outside the parks, determining the linkage between them, and establishing the necessary support base to facilitate enjoyable access by visitors.

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5. DEVELOPING TOURISM PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

5.1 Introduction In the previous section, we outlined the strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for tourism developments in the PA network of Ethiopia. Our assessment indicated that considerable improvements could be achieved with the current resources available. These improvements should be implemented immediately within a one year timeframe. Plans for further development of products and services that require additional support from donors and private sector should also be prepared immediately for implementation over a 5 year period. In this section we present an outline of proposed tourism developments for a number of parks and sanctuaries that were visited during this mission (or visited recently by one or both of the consultants in the course of previous work). In each case we distinguish between tourism products and services that can be improved or developed with currently available resources and those that will require additional resources from development aid and/or partnership between EWCA, regional administrations and the private sector. In the next section, outline development plans are presented for the following eight protected areas.

Montane and Afroalpine Bale Mountains National Park

Rift Valley Senkelle Hartebeest Sanctuary Maze National Park Nech-Sar National Park Mago National Park Chebera Churchura National Park Loka Abaya National Park

South-Western Migratory Ecosystem Gambela National Park

These outline plans are intended to act as pilots in the training workshop to be held in the first year (Section 9.2). This workshop will develop 1-Year Tourism Development Plans for each of the selected thirteen protected areas. In addition, outline development plans are provided below for two standard wildlife circuits and three specialist wildlife circuits.

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5.2 Development of Wildlife Tourism Products

5.2.1 Montane and Afroalpine PAs

Bale Mountains National Park Bale Mountains National Park (BMNP) is located 400km southeast of Addis Ababa and 150km east of Shashamene on the road to Goba in the Oromia Regional National State. It belongs to the Bale-Arsi massif, which forms the western section of the South-eastern Ethiopian highlands. The local boundary of the BMNP lies within five woredas: Adaba (west), Dinsho (north), Goba (northeast), Mana-Angetu (south) and Berbere (east). The park area is encompassed within geographical coordinates of 6º29' – 7º10'N and 39º28' – 39º57'E. A large part of the park is above 3000 m a.s.l. and in fact this is the largest area at this altitude in Africa. The highest peak in the park (and the second highest in Ethiopia) is Tulluu Dimtuu with an altitude of 4,377 metres. Bale Mountains is an area of paramount importance for numerous reasons. The mountains provide habitat and sustain life of many endemic and endangered species. Furthermore, over 12 million people in the southeast of Ethiopia, together with their livestock and the environment, rely on the water that originates form the Bale massif. Bale Mountains offers opportunities for Mountain trekking, horse trekking, and scenic driving. it is home to five of the of the “Unique 7” mammals (7 charismatic and endemic mammal species chosen to represent Ethiopian wildlife). It is also rated the fourth most important birding site in Africa by the African Bird Club.

Establishment Bale mountains National park was established in 1962 G.C.

Key species Mountain Nyala, Ethiopian Wolf, Bale Monkey, Menilik Bushbuck, Reedbuck, Serval cat.

Existing Tourism Products • Game drive (wildlife viewing, scenic views) • Mountain trekking • Horse riding • Forest walk • Bird watching • Wilderness camp (shade, campfire, peace and quiet) Associated Needs for Quality Products • Guidelines for the service providers • Star system for grading tourism services • More convenient booking system operational • Better quality management of the Dinsho Self-help Lodge • Information materials

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New Tourism Products Being Developed • Harena Bamboo nature trail (for viewing of the elusive Bale Monkey) • Wild Coffee village development • Mountain biking • High-end forest lodge – private management • South East Tourism Circuit Associated Needs for Quality Products • Trail creation, signage • Community based forest guides • Guide to tourism products • Information materials for Bamboo nature trail and wild coffee village • Develop high-altitude mountain bike trail (a unique product) • Familiarization trip for inbound tour operators

5.2.2 Rift Valley PAs

Senkelle Hartebeest Sanctuary The Senkelle Hartebeest Sanctuary was established in 1976 G.C. It is located 48 km west of Hawassa and 340 km south of Addis Ababa, covering an area of 54 km 2. The sanctuary was originally established to protect the endemic and endangered Swayne’s hartebeest. The sanctuary is partly within Oromia and partly within SNNPR and is managed by EWCA. The open acacia woodland of the reserve is scenic and some of the animals are easily spotted, especially the Swayne’s hartebeest which is estimated to number between 600 and 800. The sanctuary harbours other wild animals including waterbuck, Bohor reedbuck, greater kudu, oribi, warthog, spotted hyaena, serval and civet cats, caracal, common jackal and over 91 species of bird.

Existing Tourism Products • Game drive (wildlife viewing, scenic views) • Wilderness camp (bird watching, shade, campfire, peace and quiet) Associated Needs for Quality Products • Management burns along tracks to improve viewing conditions • Rest stops, viewing points, road signs • Camp cleaning • Provision of firewood and water • Information materials New Tourism Products with Current Resources • Walking safari (wildlife viewing, bird watching, forest and cliff species of wildlife, scenic views, trekking experience) • Night game drive (viewing of nocturnal and elusive animals; night sounds) Associated Needs for Quality Products • Walking trail creation, signage and naming

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• New campsite to go with walking trail • Community based pack-donkey rental system • Spotlights (battery operated LCD) and rental system for night drives • Information materials for walking safari and night drive. New Tourism Products with Additional Resources • Lodge linked to current large Information Centre (this will provide a quality room and restaurant service in magnificent building based on traditional architecture and in a beautiful setting with views to Lake Awassa). • Waterhole in front of lodge (which will provide visitors with the chance to view concentrations of game animals and predators day and night from the comfort of the lodge). • Webcam and floodlights at waterhole. Associated Needs for Quality Products • Partnership with private sector (hotel/lodge company) • Construction of guest cottages & conversion of visitor centre for dual purpose (with restaurant, bar and viewing area) • Pipeline for water and construction of water-filled pan • Information materials

Chebera Churchura National Park 5 Chebera Churchura National Park was established in 2005 by the SNNPR and enjoys both intact populations of large mammals and good relations with the local communities. It is located about 460 km south west of Addis Ababa or 330 km from Hawassa. It covers an estimated area of 1215 km 2. The reserve extends from 60 39' N to 70 09’ N and from 360 32’ E to 370 00’ E. It is found within the western side of the central Omo Gibe basin, where the Omo River forms its southern boundary. On the south-eastern and eastern boundaries are the Esera and Tocha Woredas, respectively. To the, west, northwest, and north (and with a small area in the northeast) the area is bounded by the Konta Special Woreda of the SNNPR. The area has special significance for large mammals. Four of the ‘big five’ species occur there – elephant, buffalo, lion and leopard. In addition zebra, giant forest hog (to be confirmed), warthog, bush pig, waterbuck, greater kudu and bushbuck are present. Hippopotamus and crocodile occur in Lake Chefore. Lion also occur in the park but their status is not known. Leopard, wild cat and serval cat are also reported as present. Black and white colobus monkeys and baboons are common. So far 37 larger mammals have been reported. Zebra enter the park in the south during June. They may migrate to Chebera Churchura NP from Omo NP or Wilshet-Sala Controlled Hunting Area. If this report is confirmed, it would add considerable conservation significance to the park. By comparison to other Rift Valley parks, Chebora Churchura NP is unusual in having retained most of its large mammals. Elephant numbers are estimated by direct count to number 300 with approximately equal numbers in Meka and Boka forests. Several herds of buffalo also commonly occur in the forests. Existing Tourism Products

5 A fuller assessment of the conservation status and tourism development potential of Chebera Chrchura National Park is presented in Annex 5.

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• Camp at the hot spring near the park HQ • Short vehicle track to the nearby riparian-palm forest at Meka • Footpath to the Barbo waterfall • Footpath to Koka Lake (Bulo Lake) to view hippo, crocodiles and waterbuck • Footpath to Bahe Lake (surrounded by mountains).

New tourism products • New campsite on the Shoshuma river under giant fig trees; • Improvements to the hot spring (near the park HQ) as a site for viewing elephants and buffalo; • Survey of new tracks to be developed for game drives and for vehicle access to remote areas of the park; • Footpath through part of the Meka forest with construction of small bridges over muddy streambed (using local materials).

How to improve tourism products with current resources The most important activity for improving tourism status using current resources will be to improve management of the hot spring near the park headquarters. At present this is used by villagers for watering cattle and as a result buffalo and elephants only use it at night. The villagers can water their cattle outside the park, for example further up the Shoshuma River, however they value the mineral content of the water at the hot spring for their cattle adding to its importance for the community. They also use the spring water as a medicine for people. The most effective management solution is to develop another hot spring at a nearby location outside of the park. The park’s wildlife expert indicated that there are suitable hot springs in the nearby hills. Existing springs can be surveyed for their mineral content and overall suitability with the participation of local villagers. In developing the new spring, an agreement should be reached with the local villages to keep their cattle outside of the park. The track which currently crosses just below the old spring should also be diverted to further minimize disturbance. Once these actions are achieved, the park will have developed a unique attraction - an undisturbed hot spring for large mammals that provides superb viewing conditions. The existing campsite can be developed as a large mammal observation point. For this purpose, one or two wooden hides can be constructed above and to the east of the spring using local materials. The hides can be booked in advance for afternoon/evening viewing of buffalo and elephant and also for nocturnal viewing during the full moon. It is recommended that the current main camp be shifted from the hot spring by a short distance along the track towards park headquarters to a grove of giant fig trees that stand next to the Shoshuma River (where the track crosses the river). This site provides excellent shade, a tranquil setting next to the river and a large flat area that is ideal for pitching tents and recreation. The river floods in the rainy season so it would be suitable as a dry season camp only.

Tourism developments with additional support As mentioned above, some additional support will be required for developing a hot spring outside of the park as an alternative to the present hot spring which is attracting buffalo and elephant from the forest. Additional support will also be required to expand the network of vehicle tracks to improve access for both visitors and the park

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authority to the more remote regions of the park. As these developments take place, new information materials can be prepared and marketed to tour operators.

Maze National Park Maze National Park was established in 2005 by the SNNPR. It covers an area of 220 km 2 of predominantly savanna grassland with scattered trees. Riverine forest occurs along the main rivers. It is situated 468 km from Addis Ababa, 248 km from Awassa and 83 km from Sodo. There is an all-weather gravel road from Sodo to the park. So far, 39 larger and medium sized mammals and 196 bird species have been recorded. It is one of the three sites in the world where good population of the endemic Swayne’s Hartebeest’s population still survive (currently more than 500 making this park almost as important as Senkelle Hartebeest Sanctuary). Oribi are numerous and easy to observe in the burnt grass areas. There are also Bohor reedbuck, buffalo, warthog, bushbuck, waterbuck, greater kudu, lesser kudu, bush pig, Anubis baboon, vervet monkey, lion, and leopard. African hunting dog visit the park on a seasonal basis. Nocturnal animals include wild cat, serval, Egyptian and white-tailed mongooses, civet, aardvark, standard-winged nightjar and Scops owl. Existing Tourism Products • Game drive (wildlife viewing, scenic views) • Wilderness camp next to the Maze River (bird watching, shade, campfire, Colobus monkeys, peace and quiet) • Footpath to Bilbo/Hal’o hot spring.

Associated Needs for Quality Products • Management burns to improve viewing conditions (this is already being implemented); • Rest stops, viewing points, road signs; • Clearing of grass and scrub between the wilderness campsite and Maze River with regular maintenance; • Cleaning of campsite and toilet; • Clearing of grass along a section of riverbank at the wilderness camp to provide open viewing for bird watching; • Provision of firewood and water at the park HQ; • Information materials.

New Tourism Products with Current Resources • Walking safari along river (wildlife viewing, bird watching, forest and riverine species, scenic views) • Night game drive (viewing of nocturnal and elusive animals; night sounds)

Associated Needs for Quality Products • Trail creation along Maze River (grass and bush cutting); • Spotlights (battery operated LCD) and rental system for night drives; • Information materials for walking safari and night drive.

New Tourism Products with Additional Resources • Establishment of a lodge or guest house

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• Creation of hippo pool in Maze River

Associated Needs for Quality Products • Partnership with private sector to manage lodge/guest house; • Study of Maze River near Wilderness Camp to advise on hippo pool and possible luxury camp; • Information materials.

Mago National Park (Recommended Brand name: The Southern People’s Park ) Established in 1978 with a total area of 21,260 km 2, Mago National Park (MNP) is located in the SNNPR adjacent to Omo National Park and Wilshet-Sala Controlled Hunting Area on the eastern sides of a small branch of the eastern Rift Valley (Omo depression). It lies about 530 and 800 km southwest of Hawassa and Addis Ababa, respectively. The road from Jinka town to the park covers a distance of 34 km of all weather gravel road. The 10 km access road to the park headquarters and campsite is currently impassable in the wet season. The park had about 200km internal roads however many of these are now closed from erosion and thicket encroachment. The dominant habitat is bushland with limited savanna bushland and small pathes of savanna grassland. A narrow band of riverine forest occurs along the main rivers and watercourses. The park supports a typical bush savanna fauna with 81 larger mammals and 237 species of bird. Among the mammals are African elephant, buffalo, lesser-kudu, greater-kudu, duiker, warthog, tiang, lewel’s hartebeests, Oryx, grant’s gazelle, gerenuk, giraffe, cheetah, wild dog, lions, leopards. The riverine forest has many colobus and grivet monkeys and baboon are common. The Park is fortunate in possessing numerous rivers and streams. Mago River rises from the northeast highlands of the area and crosses the park (north to south) to feed the Omo River. There are also different perennial rivers like Neri River and other streams, which are tributaries of the Mago River in the park. Omo, Mago, and Neri rivers are typical features of the Mago National Park. The surrounding area has a rich cultural diversity where many elements of the earliest nomadic lifestyles are still continued. Hammer, Benna, Mursi, Ngagatom, Ari, Karo, Body, Kwegu are communities very well known for their traditional culture, lifestyles, colourful body decorations, ceremonies, festivals, rituals, and other living expressions. Existing Tourism Products • Game drive (wildlife viewing, scenic views). • Wilderness camp by Nere River (fresh water from pump, bird watching, shade, swimming, campfire, Colobus monkeys, peace and quiet) • Hiking in hills.

Associated Needs for Quality Products • Repairs to the tractor (donated by the EU) to enable road works • Sufficient budget for maintenance of tractor so that roads can be opened and improved, and sufficient funds for maintaining the park vehicle; • Re-opening of some game-viewing tracks currently closed by bush encroachment and erosion, including improvement of track to airstrip;

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• Improvements to Karo road including a small bridge with 2 culverts; • Upgrading of 10 km main entrance road with gravel (each year); • Clear bush from air strip to improve game viewing; • Improved booking system (currently booking is at a checkpoint outside the park with poor signposting); • Further reform of Jinka guide system – this reform should take the form of disciplinary action not more plans . Currently some tourists are prevented from even entering Mago NP park by misinformation from official guides; • Cleaning of campsite at headquarters, clear away old concrete pipes and overhead electric wires. Close informal access routes into camp from road using stones. Clean existing toilet, construct second bush toilet with wooden seat; • Provision of firewood at park headquarters; • Information materials.

New Tourism Products with Current Resources • Temporary camp at top of Modelea hill with fine views over the park; • Development of trekking routes in surrounding hills.

Associated Needs for Quality Products • Training of senior staff and scouts for tourism interpretation (currently only 3 scouts can speak in English); • Hiking trail creation; • Information materials.

New Tourism Products with Additional Resources • With EU Cultural Heritage funding, establishment of museum with associated cultural events and developments; • Establishment of a lodge or guest house; • Upgrading driver and scout facilities at park headquarters (generator, fridge, pool table, table tennis table).

Associated Needs for Quality Products • Woreda level agreement on sharing benefits from tourism; • Woreda level agreement on reducing illegal hunting of elephant and other animals, and on preventing illegal cattle grazing in the park; • Teaching pastoralist elders about the park; • Partnership with private sector to manage lodge/guest house; • Information materials at museum.

Nech-Sar National Park Nech-Sar National Park (also Nechisar) is an IUCN category II National Park that was established in 1974 with the aim of conserving the endemic Swayne’s Hartebeest and preserving the scenic beauty of the area. It is located in SNNPR immediately to the east of Arba Minch, which is some 510 km from Addis Ababa. The park covers 514 km 2 of territory include the "Bridge of God" (an isthmus between Lakes Abaya and

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Chamo), and the Nechisar (meaning “white grass”) plains east of the. Park elevation ranges from 1108 to 1650 metres above sea level. Two major rivers, Sermule and Kulfo traverse the park. Approximately 15% of the park consists of lakes Abaya and Chamo around which are important groundwater forest and shoreline habitats. The lakes have strikingly different colours. Lake Abaya is reddish brown due to elevated natural concentrations of ferrous hydroxide particles in a colloid suspension. Most of the park is covered in thick bushland with wooded valleys and foothills at the base of the Amaro Mountains. There are also extensive grasslands, savannah, and mountain habitats. The groundwater forest below Arba Minch contains more than 100 woody species: of tree, shrub and woody liana. It forms an attractive and diverse evergreen habitat which is dominated by large trees such as the giant figs, Ficus sycomorus and F. vasta , forest mahogany, Trichilia dregana , Sudan teak, Cordia Africana, and the endemic Vepris dainellii . Freshwater springs attract butterflies and dragonflies many of which are endemic to Ethiopia. The Sermule Valley provides classic dry season habitat with large umbrella acacias ( Acacia tortilis ) and sycamore figs ( Ficus sycomorus ) along the river valley leading to a small lake (Haro Ropi or ‘hippo lake’) near the head. Wildlife in the park includes Plains Zebra, Grant's Gazelle, Swayne's Hartebeest, Waterbuck, Bohor reedbuck, Mountain reedbuck, Oribi, Greater Kudu, Common Bushbuck, Guenther’s Dik-dik, Bush Duiker, Warthog, Bushpig and Hippopotamus. Lion, Leopard, Serval, Spotted Hyaena, 3 species of jackal and Nile Crocodile are the major predators. Also recorded in the park are 4 primates, including Anubis baboon, Vervet and Black and White Colobus, and 19 bat species. Some 332 birds have been observed in Nech-Sar National Park including two which are endemic to Ethiopia (Wattled ibis and Thick-billed raven). The park is well known for its kingfishers, storks, pelicans, flamingos and fish eagles as well as for its migratory birds. The eastern part of the park, including the Sermule Valley, faces severe pressure from cattle grazing and farming. The western side of the park is less affected but the natural resources are subject to commercial collection of firewood (from Kulfo forest), charcoal making, and collection of roofing grass from surrounding habitats. A recent survey revealed that the large majority of Arba Minch townspeople obtain their firewood from “informal suppliers” who cut trees illegally in NNP. Existing Tourism Products • Game drive (wildlife viewing, scenic views over lakes and across to eastern escarpment). • Wilderness camp by the ‘40 springs’ pumping station in the groundwater forest (fresh water from spring, swimming, bird watching, shade, campfire, Colobus monkeys, peace and quiet). • Boat trip along shores of Lake Chamo to see hippo, crocodiles (at the Crocodile Market and on the islands) and lake birds. • Variety of accommodation and restaurants in Arba Minch.

Associated Needs for Quality Products • Wilderness camp could be relocated downstream of the pumping station to a quieter and more peaceful setting. Construction of an eco-toilet. Separate bathing areas for town residents seeking recreation and tourists seeking an

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eco-forest experience. Soap products should not be permitted in the spring water. • Sufficient budget for annual maintenance of tracks. • Information materials.

New Tourism Products with Current Resources • Signed and interpreted footpath through the groundwater forest;

Associated Needs for Quality Products • Training of senior staff and scouts for tourism interpretation; • Survey of forest for creation of footpath; • Construction of wooden bridges over minor streams as necessary for footpath; • Interpretation of flora and fauna along footpath • Information materials.

New Tourism Products with Additional Resources Note: Development of tourism facilities on the eastern side of the park should only take place in conjunction with a community conservation programme that settles the long-term issue of cattle grazing and farming inside the park. • Establishment of a luxury tented camp on the eastern shore of Lake Chamo that could be accessed either by boat or by vehicle. • Establishment of a tented camp or traditionally constructed lodge at Haro Ropi in the Sermule Valley.

Associated Needs for Quality Products • Park-community agreements on illegal use of the park (see above). • Partnership with private sector and communities to manage and run the lodge/luxury tented camp;

Loka Abaya National Park 6 Loka Abaya National Park was established in 2009 by the SNNPRS. It is located on the north-eastern side of Lake Abaya about 50 km southwest of Awassa. It covers an area of 500 km 2. From Awassa or Yirga Alem, the drive to Loka Abaya takes approximately 2 hours. The general pattern of topographic features is rolling basalt hills sloping downwards to Lake Abaya. The vegetation of the study area can be categorized into three major habitats: grassland with scattered trees (Combretum and Terminalia), woodland and riparian forest. The park is surrounded by rivers; the Bilate River rises on the south-western slopes of Mount Gurage (the highest point in the SNNPR) flowing south along the western side of the park before opening into a wide delta at Lake Abaya. A small section of the lake lies within the national park. The thickets and bushes provide suitable habitat for browsing ungulates which include greater kudu, lesser kudu and common bushbuck. Reedbuck and waterbuck are found near to rivers and Lake Abaya. Grant’s gazelle are reported to be present. Predators include African hunting dog (two small packs have been reported), lion,

6 A fuller assessment of the conservation status and tourism development potential of Loka Abaya National Park is presented in Annex 6.

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leopard, hyaena and common jackal. The lake and rivers provide habitat for many wetland bird species. Loka Abaya National Park is presently undeveloped for tourism. Important management issues include an unresolved dispute with the community living in the southern village next to the Bilate River.

Existing Tourism Products • Game drive on main road (wildlife viewing, scenic views over Lake Abaya)

Associated Needs for Quality Products • Development of game viewing tracks off the main road that bisects the park • Information materials

New Tourism Products with Current Resources • Campsites with shade trees near to river • Walking safaris (taking advantage of hill views over Lake Abaya, and bird watching on the lake and in riverine habitats)

Associated Needs for Quality Products • Provision of firewood, water and guides at park headquarters

New Tourism Products with Additional Resources • Establishment of a lodge or guest house

Associated Needs for Quality Products • One potential partner for developing a lodge in Loka Abaya is the owner of Aregesh Lodge in Yirgalem. • Information materials

5.2.3 South-Western Migratory Ecosystem

Gambela National Park Gambella national park is located in the extreme western part of Ethiopia, located about 600 kilometres from Addis Ababa lying between the Baro and Gilo rivers. The park is one of the wettest in the country and encompasses large areas of wetland including the Baro, Itang, Alwero, and Akobo rivers. This very diverse park, in terms of scenery and landscapes, as well as in the large mammals and birds, hosts the second greatest wildlife migration in Africa in which some half a million white-eared kob migrate from Boma National Park in South Sudan to Gambela NP. The park is home to 69 species of mammals and 327 bird species. Among the mammals, Lechwe, Roan Antelope, Elephant, Tiang and White-Eared Kob are found. The river banks are rich in bird life; the wetlands are one of the last refuges for the globally threatened Shoebill stork.

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Establishment Gambella National Park was established in 1976 G.C.

Key species: White-Eared kob, Nile Lechwe and Tiang Existing Tourism Products • Game drive (wildlife viewing, scenic views) • Wilderness camp (wildlife viewing, shade, campfire, peace and quiet) Associated Needs for Quality Products • Identification and developing of a road network inside the park • Development of off-road spots for viewing wildlife • Satellite campsite development • Management burns to improve viewing conditions • Provision of firewood and water • Information materials Associated Needs for Quality Products • Trail creation, signage and naming with new campsite • Tour guiding • Partnership with private sector (hotel/lodge company • Information materials for walking safari and night drive.

New Tourism Products with Additional Resources • Developing boat trip along Akobo, Baro and Gilo rivers to see Birds, crocodiles and hippo.

Associated Needs for Quality Products • Upgrade the existing public boat transport (boats fitted with roof, cushions, lifejackets; jetty construction etc) • Tour guiding (including bird watching) • Boat operation • Business operations training • Identify potential birding and hippo viewing sites along the river • Trail creation (rest stops, signage, etc) to access potential birding sites along the river edge ,

New Tourism Products with Additional Resources • Development of sport fishing and associated fresh fish restaurant and retail outlet. (This proposed development has an important community application. In the long run, forests and rivers in the region can only be conserved if they are as profitable as farming or herding. Therefore, Gambella National Park needs to work towards establishing multiple and harmonious uses of its rivers, and on generating alternative sources of income. In this regard one potential source of alternative income for peoples living along the rivers will be the development of sport fishing on selected rivers.)

Associated Needs for Quality Products • Development of fishing regulations;

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• Establishment of fishing village with restaurant and fresh fish retail outlet - procuring food and beverage service material /equipment; • Training of chefs and fish handlers; • Sanitation and hygiene; • Business operations training; • Park-community agreements on illegal fishing; • Partnership with private sector and communities to manage and run the fishing village.

New Tourism Products with Additional Resources • Community visit This product will centre on guided walks to the selected Nuer and Anwak villages. It will provide an additional tourism product for the park and also give local communities an opportunity to become involved in the tourism business being generated by the park. It will provide a range of experiences that could include traditional food and drink and opportunities to interact with local people. A highlight could be a traditional cultural performance such as music, traditional drama or storytelling. These would not only provide entertainment for visitors, but would also provide a mechanism for educating the hosts and enriching their cultural heritage.

Associated Needs for Quality Products • Identification and developing of potential villages for visits; • Organizing and train local artisans for selling crafts through a formal craft centre or gallery in the village; • Training villagers in food and beverage preparation (including hygiene and sanitation); • Community tourism operations.

5.3 Protected Areas and Cluster Tourism

5.3.1 Introduction The purpose of developing tourism cluster assets (routes and viewpoints) is to provide unity in their marketing and promotion which enhances visitor experience, increases popularity of wildlife circuits and visits to the parks. The development process consists of identifying the tourism products of the individual protected areas and also along the connecting routes outside the parks, then determining the linkage between the assets and finally establishing the necessary support to facilitate access to the viewpoints and park attractions.

Clusters are often characterized in terms of a physical relationship such as: • Single attractions, without connection to others. • Single route clusters, where the journey to a single protected area or national park also provides access to minor attraction along the way.

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• Hub and spoke clusters, where a number of attractions may be accessed from the single centre which also serves as the service and facility node for the area. • Regional tour cluster, where a series of interconnected parks are accessed by criss-crossing connections. • Chained clusters, where a single, perhaps circular route connects a number of attractions.

The following diagram shows the above cited concepts:

5.3.2 Products outside the park

What Makes a Good Viewpoint? The viewpoints along a mountain circuit have been labelled as God's Windows and Views of Wonder. This is the ideal aimed for. It is important to emphasize that the tourism products of the protected areas begin outside the park: viewpoints along the route mark the transition of one region/location to another and serve as a rest point where visitors can take a break from the long drive. They should provide a comfort zone and ideally be provided with clean toilet areas. Such spots should be set a little distance from the main road (but not too far) and provide an opportunity for visitors to enjoy the beauty of nature.

The main viewpoints should have the following infrastructure: - Environmental toilets - Outlet for crafts and soft drinks - Outlet for protected area promotional materials - Observation tower deck (depending on the setting of the viewpoint) - Interesting signs and information about nearby nature features.

Some Potential Viewpoints • Lake Ziway viewpoint is accessed on the route from Butajra to Ziway, offering panoramic views of Lake Ziway and its islands.

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• Three lake viewpoint is located on the road to Arsi Negele – from this beautiful viewpoint one can glimpse stunning views of the three Rift Valley lakes: Abjiata, Shalla and Langano. • Kosoye View point is about 30 km from Gondar on the way to Simien Mountains National park nestled at a height of about 2300 m a.s.l. This beautiful spot provides magnificent views of the Simien Mountain ranges and also views of the lower ridges and valleys. • Sleeping Dragon Mountain : the panoramic view of this mountain ridge shaped like a sleeping dragon is obtained on the road up into the Bale mountains. Driving up through juniper forest along the side of the Sebsebe Valley, the high ridge on the right hand side begins to resemble the amazing shape of a mythical creature – a dragon lying along the mountain top with the end of the dragon tail formed by a spiky rock. • Wabe Waterfall is 8 km from Dodolla town on the Assela road, located some 400 metres from the main road. It provides a good stopping area with close views of a beautiful curtain of water coming over the ledge running across the river.

5.3.3 Wildlife Tourism Circuits

South Eastern Wildlife Circuit The South Eastern Wildlife Circuit (SEWC) is an exemplary natural circular route which connects a number of protected areas. It is being developed with the assistance of the Frankfurt Zoological Society to promote the Bale Mountains National Park as a tourism destination. There are two routes to access the SEWC: the first takes travellers south down the central Rift Valley Lakes, accessing Abijata- Shalla National Park and then Senkelle Hatebeest Sanctuary. From there the route turns east to Bale Mountains before returning to Addis Ababa. The second route takes the visitor eastwards from Addis Ababa across the Rift Valley to Awash National Park which remains a popular wildlife destination and then beyond it to Alledeghi Wildlife Reserve (AWR) which provides better opportunities for viewing many game animals. AWR has good numbers of Beisa Oryx, Sommering’s Gazelle, Gerenuk and Lesser Kudu. It provides critical habitat for the endangered Grevy’s Zebra. In addition, a few African wild asses have recently been seen there. The route turns south into the mountains towards the astonishing gorges of Wabe Shebelle and the marvellous mountain scenery of western Hararge. Dotted by scrubland, this route takes you to the miraculous ancient Shrine of Dire Shiek Hussein. From there, visitors travel through the Gubayeu Mountain to the largest caves in Africa. The next destination is the Bale Mountains National Park. An additional option is to visit the isolated Gerale National Park and the untouched south- eastern part of Ethiopia where there is a chance to see Prince Ruspoli’s Turaco. The second route would take some 7 to 10 days, depending on the time spent at each attraction. Both routes require validation and confirmation by private sector tour operators.

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Southern Wildlife Circuit The Southern Wildlife Circuit (SWC) will take visitors to some of the most spectacular Rift Valley wildlife areas. It will be possible to focus entirely on wildlife areas or to combine wildlife and cultural tourism attractions. The route takes the visitor south from Addis Ababa to explore the Senkelle Hartebeest Sanctuary. From there it descends to the (upper) Omo Valley for a visit to Maze National Park. There are two options for the link between Maze National park and the well-known cultural routes to the Lower Omo Valley. The first is to return to Wolayta, and follow the route from Sodo to Arba Minch, and thence visit Nech-Sar National before proceeding to Jinka. A second possibility is to descend from Maze National Park directly to Jinka. In either case the visitor can proceed from Jinka to the Mago National Park and from there to the Mursi tribes of the lower Omo Valley, before proceeding to Karo village at Dus/Korecho through the Mago National Park road network for further exploration of tribal living. There are two options for the return journey: the first option is to drive eastwards to Geralle National Park visiting El-Sod Crater Lake then onward to Bale Mountains National Park via Negele Borena. The second option is to visit Yabello National Park and drive back to Addis via the Rift Valley lakes route. Both routes require exploration and confirmation by private sector tour operators before being offered as new tourism products. It will be important to upgrade the road network inside Mago National Park in order to fully develop the SWC. The total tour will take some 9 to 15 days, depending on the time spent at each attraction.

5.3.4 Specialist Circuits These are circuits designed to cater for visitors with specialised interests. Here we mention three: The Unique Seven Circuit, The 500 Bird Circuit and The Flowers of Africa Circuit.

The Unique Seven Circuit will give visitors an opportunity to observe the most distinctive mammals in Ethiopia. The tour will begin with Simien Mountains National Park with the opportunity to spend time with the Geladas, Walia Ibex and Ethiopian Wolf. Then travel down the Rift Valley to Senkelle Wildlife Sanctuary and or Maze National Park to view Swayne’s Hartebeest. At Maze it will also be possible to view oribi and Colobus monkeys. From there the visitors will be taken to Bale Mountains National Park to view Mountain Nyala, Menelik’s bushbuck, Ethiopian wolf and its favoruite prey animal, the Giant mole-rat, and with a little luck the mysterious Bale Monkey.

The 500 Bird Circuit will give birders the opportunity to view a large number of Ethiopian birds including most of the endemics in a variety of spectacular settings. Ethiopia is endowed with over 860 bird species, 13 of which are found nowhere else in the world. Of the ten bird families endemic to the African mainland eight are represented in Ethiopia. Its avifauna represents an interesting mixture of east and west African, Palearctic and some strikingly unusual endemic components. Ethiopia has rightly become a hallmark for African birding. It is an exquisite birding destination. The 500 Bird Circuit will take birding enthusiasts through the highlands and lowlands of Ethiopia to visit the top birding sites. The Rift Valley is the crown jewel of Ethiopia birding sites dotted by several large lakes; it offers few endemics but very diverse and enjoyable woodland birding. Some excellent birding sites here are found

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at Lake Langano, Awash National Park and Nechisar National Park which offer amongst many others such great birds as the African Swallow-tailed Kite, the Abyssinian Ground Hornbill and the Arabian Bustard. The highlands, which dominate the central part of the country, are divided by the Rift Valley, and fall away to arid desert and bushlands in the north, south and east, and to moister Guinea woodland in the west. Much of the highlands are under subsistence agriculture, but there still exist considerable tracts of Afro-alpine shrub land and pockets of Afromontane forest. For birders, the most popular access to really high altitude habitats is in the Bale Mountains National Park in the southern part of the south-eastern highlands. Bale Mountains was voted number four on a list of the best birding sites by the African Bird Club. Bale Mountains is also a favourite destination among birders and famous for its large number of Abyssinian and Ethiopian endemics. Over 280 species have been recorded in BMNP, including 7 of the 16 species endemic to Ethiopia; Spot-breasted lapwing, Yellow-fronted Parrot, Abyssinian wood-pecker, Abyssinian long claw, Abyssinian cat bird, Black-headed siskin and the Bale Parisoma. The area, with it abundant rodent community, is also very important for many internationally rare large eagles, vultures and other raptors. In the south of the country, high diversity and endemism combine to offer absolutely superb birding and makes the Area a veritable twitcher’s paradise. Among the many unique birds are the following stars in any twitcher’s checklist: the endemic Prince Ruspoli`s Turaco, White-tailed Swallow, Stresemann's Bush Crow, Sidamo Lark and Degodi Lark. Also present are a number of dryland species shared with far northern Kenya and Somalia, such as the Red-naped Bushshrike, African white-winged dove and the magnificent Vulturine Guineafowl. In the far west of the country, along the Sudanese border, low-lying plains are cloaked with moister woodland supporting an avifauna quite unlike that of the rest of the country.

Development of the 500 Bird Circuit Prior to implementing and promoting the ‘500 Bird Circuit’, we recommend the following development steps to establish this specialist circuit: • Birding sites should be designated along the circuit on the basis of the presence of high diversity, rare, threatened and endemic bird species. Many of the preferred sites will be important bird areas (IBAs). The Ethiopian Wildlife Natural history Society (EWNHS) has good working knowledge and experience in this area. It is recommended that an integrated national avi- tourism development plan is developed with EWCA, EWNHS and other expert organisations. • Birding routes within the circuit will be the main gateway for bird watching and should be established along accessible roads and tracks (preferably open to vehicles) or off-road where foot and horse trekking are possible, and where accommodation is available. • Identifying and training local community members as bird guides at birding sites will help to strengthen the community and its relationship with tourists. It will enable members to become involved in bird and birding site conservation and provide local benefits through guiding, selling crafts to birders and through other services. Local bird guides should be available along all the main birding routes and sites. They will become important connectors to take birders close to birds. They will build up an intimate knowledge of their local

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site and become experts in knowing where elusive and special bird species may be found. In order to make a good success of the bird guides and the 500 Bird Circuit, it will be important to identify potential candidates for bird guides along the birding routes and sites with the participation of local communities. Training will be offered to those selected as guides in tailor-made birding courses that will include bird ecology and identification techniques, interacting with and welcoming birders, and first aid.

The Flowers of Africa Circuit – We recommend that a third specialist circuit be developed catering for those with an interest in Ethiopia’s beautiful, distinctive and diverse flowering plants. This needs to be researched according to season and location, and developed for use in specialised tours (See Section 7.2 for more details).

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6. INFORMATION PRODUCTS FOR WILDLIFE TOURISM

Promotional materials are a key connector of visitors and tourism products. Neighbouring countries have libraries of beautifully illustrated guides, handbooks and travel books that inform the wildlife tourist. Although information about Ethiopia’s historical landscape and living culture is easily available, it is hard to find any information materials about the protected areas and wildlife. The Ethiopia Wildlife Conservation Authority EWCA and regional authorities have published bilingual leaflets for each park. This takes the form of an A4 flyer. These pamphlets are informative and useful if difficult to find. There is a need for more comprehensive and attractive information about the protected areas, on what kind of landscape, habitats, wildlife and tourism facilities to expect, on the opportunity for different kinds of activity - both strenuous and relaxed, on how to get there, prices, how to make reservations, and the codes of conduct that the visitor will be asked to comply with. The information in the promotional materials should be presented in such a way as to excite visitors about the tourism products available in the protected areas before they arrive at their destination. Images should be of the highest quality to highlight different and unique aspects of the protected areas and the activities available to the visitor. Imaginative branding of the parks and snappy taglines can bring tourism products to life.

6.1 Information Products The following information materials are required for each protected area and wildlife circuit:

- Circuit maps – these are maps which provide circular routes connecting a number of protected areas with their own respective attractions. The purpose of developing circuit maps is to provide information about the routes and the attractions to be found within the parks and along the way, and to thereby enhance visitor experience and maximize tourist visitation. GPS coordinates of park entrance gates, critical road junctions, viewpoints and other attractions will be provided. - Geotourism Mapguide – this is an illustrated and annotated map incorporating a description of major tourism destination along with its cultural and historical attractions. A good example is the MapGuide series produced by The National Geographic Society’s Centre for Sustainable Destinations (CSD). They are designed to promote the practice of Geotourism, which is defined as: “Tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place - its environment, heritage, aesthetics, culture, and the well-being of its residents”. The GeoTourism Mapguide of Ethiopia would provide a much stronger emphasis on the parks and wildlife areas of the country than has appeared in other tourism guides. - Complete Field Guide – A complete handbook of the parks and wildlife areas of Ethiopia that provides detailed descriptions and maps of all the parks and sanctuaries in the country together with details about the mammals, birds and other wildlife present, local uses of plants and tips for visitors. The handbook

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will present an interpretation of the unique habitats and wildlife of Ethiopia and explain why it is second to none in the continent of Africa. - Individual Park Guides (booklets) – Each park will have its own guide booklet which provides the visitor with all necessary information to make the most of their visit. These guides will provide a detailed description of the park that includes, history, routes, small and large mammals, birds, plants, tourist activities, and facilities where to stay. A map and checklists of birds and mammals will be provided. - Individual Park Maps – these handy park maps will show the easiest access routes within the parks, the tourism facilities on offer, park tariffs and the golden rules to be respected within the protected area. - Special Product Guidelines – some activities require a higher level of responsibility from the visitor. Examples may include walking safaris, night drives, lake boat trips, rafting on the Omo River and cultural visits. If these activities are offered than a Special Product Guideline should be provided for each tourist giving information on their expected codes of conduct and behaviour to ensure safe, courteous and successful participation. This ensures sustainability of the activity and helps to guarantee a pleasant and safe stay in the protected area.

6.2 Publishing and Distributing Information products can be published locally in Ethiopia to a high standard. Copies of all materials should be distributed to major bookshops, hotels, tourist operators, tourist lodges, park offices and information centres. The cost of publication and distribution should be reflected in the sale price. A mechanism needs to be developed so that the money received for the sale of these products – field guides and maps – can be used to finance the cost of re-printing and re-distribution of the products once they have sold out. In most cases, information materials distributed by government and donors in Ethiopia soon become unavailable, once the initial production run is exhausted. For this reason it is recommended that EWCA establish a small committee to investigate the issue of sustainability of supply when producing its guidebooks, pamphlets and maps. Recommendations arising from the committee can be communicated to MoCT so that the appropriate authority to proceed can be obtained. The Consultants’ recommended solution would be for EWCA to form a partnership with a private publisher such as Shama Books. In this arrangement, EWCA will provide the publisher with camera-ready copy of the guides and maps. The publisher will print the material to a high standard and be responsible for its distribution in bookshops, tourist hotels and other commercial outlets. The funds received from sales will enable the publisher to keep the material in print and provide fresh stocks to the main outlets on demand. Regarding additional copies of maps and guides for park offices and information centres, it is recommended that EWCA arrange to purchase these copies at cost (or at an agreed discount rate) from the publisher. EWCA can then distribute these copies to its own offices in the parks. The material should be on sale at the same price as in the bookshops but in this case EWCA would recover the funds. When the material was sold out in the park offices, EWCA would have the option of purchasing and distributing further copies, again at cost or at a discounted price.

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6.3 Monitoring and Evaluation

6.3.1 Tourism data compilation Gathering data on visitors is one of the important aspects of tourism development. These data should include the number of visitors to protected areas, their background information, and their enjoyment and satisfaction of their stay in the park. With a few exceptions the current data collection system of the protected areas is inadequate for this purpose. When analyzing tourist numbers for this marketing strategy, we found major discrepancies between the data available within the national parks and that retained at EWCA head office – where most of the tourist data is compiled on the basis of entrance fee receipts. For instance, in Bale Mountains National Park at the reception there is a standard tourist registration book, however the figures in the registration book do not match the tourism receipts. In this case it appears that many tourists have not been registering their names and details in the visitor registration book before entering the park. We recommend that standard registration books should be produced and used by each individual park and sanctuary. These data should be transcribed to a database system operating at park level and at EWCA and at Regional Authority level. The registration book should include the following aspects: - Date - Number of visitors - Nationality - Country of origin - How booking was made? - How did you hear about the park? (word of mouth, internet, travel guide, etc) - Purpose of visit - Travel from ----- and travel to ------Length of stay

6.3.2 Trip Evaluation form At the end of their stay, it is important that visitors are asked to provide the park with feedback about their visit. Their responses are important as they can help EWCA to improve the tourism products and services, and to fine-tune the way the protected areas and tourism products are marketed. Currently only Bale Mountains National Park has a standard trip evaluation form. We recommend that this is replicated for use in other protected areas with amendments based on the respective tourism products.

6.3.3 Planning system Currently the number of visitors in the protected areas of Ethiopia is generally low. However in the peak tourism season (October- January), tourist numbers have risen over several years and difficulty may be experienced in fitting all of the tourists into one camp site. At this time of year, it is common to find many tourists crowded into the main campsites in the Simien Mountains National Park. Crowding is not an issue at the moment for most other protected areas in Ethiopia, but as the tourism strategy is

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implemented, crowding can be anticipated. So we recommend that a better planning and booking system should be put in place with immediate effect. This system will show which campsites are occupied by how many people at which moment. Without such a system, sooner or later the wilderness experience of visitors will suffer and the tourism product will end up with negative reports - which are of course deadly for the reputation of the park and EWCA.

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7. MARKETING AND BRANDING

7.1 Brand and Branding A strong and positive brand is a distinct advantage, especially with tourism products becoming so globally competitive. Products and protected areas must differentiate themselves in terms of experience offered, people, culture, heritage, attractions, environment and sustainability. These are the elements that shape the brand and they are the key to connecting the destination and experience to the type of visitor which it wishes to attract.

7.1.1 Logo, Tagline and Slogan The logo and tagline, or slogan, are the key components of branding which help to create an identity for each protected area. They describe the experience of being in the park or of being part of any trip offered by a tour operator which includes that protected area. The logo of a protected area will be the image or symbol that comes to represent that protected area and its tourism assets. The tagline or slogan is a catchy phrase that describes the experience of being in that park and enjoying the tourism products on offer. It increases the visitor’s identification with that protected area.

Some examples of recent branding of well-known East African Parks are given below.

• Mount Kenya NP Come and touch the sky • Ngorongoro Cons. Area Honouring both wildlife and human culture • Serengeti NP The greatest wildlife show on Earth • Selous National Reserve The largest game reserve in Africa • Mahale NP A mighty natural wonder by lake Tanganyika • Arusha NP Nature’s hidden gem

One example of branding in Ethiopia has been developed for the Guassa Community Conservation Area (see logo below):

Furthermore, EWCA and the Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) have been developing marketing materials for the Simien Mountains and Bale Mountains National Parks.

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We recommend that each protected area in Ethiopia develop a distinctive logo that highlights its character and increases its identity in the eye of the public. In developing the identity or logo of the protected area, the organisers should invite participation from local communities living around the protected area, key stakeholders and park staff. Park wardens with tourism officers and senior staff can take a lead in developing the branding of protected areas whilst being advised by a tourism specialist as to the messages which are likely to communicate most strongly with visitors. The following activities will ensure development of a strong and resilient park brand: • Compiling information from stakeholders, a good way for this is to develop a questionnaire and ask them questions such as: what comes to mind when you think ……. National Park; which images and symbols do you associate with the tourism products and activities at …….. National Park; what colour do you associate with …… National Park. • Analyse the data and create an identity with EWCA marketing department in consultation with private sector tour operators. • Use the logo for all marketing and promotional materials of the national park or wildlife sanctuary. • Prepare and produce high quality descriptive marketing materials such as, flyers, guidebooks, park maps, stickers and signs.

7.2 Wildlife Tourism Marketing and Image Enhancement Ethiopia is undoubtedly one of the most unique countries in Africa. Its abundance of near pristine ecosystems, rich and distinctive fauna and flora, and its hospitable culture make Ethiopia a veritable ‘gem of nature’ for travelers. Ethiopia’s national parks and wildlife sanctuaries have much more to offer visiting tourists than is generally appreciated: landscape and scenery which is second to none in Africa, unique mammals of the mountains, a treasure trove of bird species and the most beautiful and distinctive flowers. An important part of the marketing wildlife tourism will be to celebrate the different components of Ethiopia’s wildlife experience. Three of these components are so distinctive that we have recommended the development of specialist tours.

7.2.1 The Unique Mammals The isolated Gambela National Park hosts the second greatest wildlife migration in Africa; Simien Mountains National Park boasts the most beautiful mountain scenery in the world and is home to three unique large mammals (Walia Ibex, Ethiopian Wolf and Gelada); Bale Mountains National Park nestles between high mountains and lowland forest at 1500 m. It is home to five of the “Unique 7” mammals of Ethiopia (Mountain nyala, Menelik’s bushbuck, Ethiopian wolf, Giant mole-rat and Bale Monkey) and it is rated as the fourth top-birding site in Africa by the African Bird Club. The young and largely undeveloped Chebera Churchura National Park is home to four of the “Big Five” species (elephant, buffalo, lion and leopard) which can be

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found in a rich array of natural habitats - grasslands, woodlands, groundwater forests, lakes, hills and caves.

7.2.2 Diversity of Birds The Ethiopia Great Rift Valley, one of the world’s most awesome phenomena, cuts through the Ethiopian highlands creating conditions for one of the most diverse avifaunas in African. The country is endowed with over 860 species of bird, 13 of which are found nowhere else in the world. Of the ten bird families endemic to the African mainland eight are represented in Ethiopia. It is an exquisite birding destination which is described more fully in Section 5.3.4.

7.2.3 Flowers of Africa Ethiopia has a surprisingly rich and distinctive flora. Around September and October much of the highlands are coloured yellow by daisies collectively called the meskal flowers, as they flower at the time of Meskal, or the Finding of the True Cross, celebration. Many of these are in the Bidens genus, and six of them are endemic. In Bale carpets of flowers are seen, many of these are also endemic. One of them is the small bushy Alchemilla haumannii . Large areas may be populated with red-hot poker plants, Kniphojia joliosa , and the skyline at high altitudes is broken by endemic Lobelia rhynchopetalum, whose leafy rosettes stand two to three metres high before sending up a spike of flowers reaching six metres at times. The endemic Plectocephalus varians looks rather like a Scottish thistle at first but is soft to the touch. Heathers of the genus Erica , which cover large areas at high altitude, will grow to form substantial trees ten metres tall if left undisturbed. There is even an indigenous rose, Rosa abyssinica , and its sweet foliage and creamy white flowers can be smelt and seen in many areas in the dry season. Few books exist that are helpful in identifying the large number of endemic flowering plants in Ethiopia, but as the wildlife and parks become better known, the demand for specialty tours with knowledgeable guides will grow.

7.3 Branding Wildlife Although wildlife tourism in Ethiopia is relatively underdeveloped, the national parks and wildlife sanctuaries combine a grandeur that is second to none in Africa with many distinctive features and unique species that are not found elsewhere. Thus, from the wildlife tourism perspective, the protected areas have much to offer both general visitors looking for a genuine African wildlife experience and those pursuing more specialised interests. Both kinds of attraction need to be captured in the information materials and marketing programme. To this end, the current Marketing and Branding of Ethiopia’s wildlife for tourism is a timely action for attracting foreign tourists interested in a general wildlife experience, and soliciting new markets with an interest in the many specialised tourism products available within the protected areas. Alongside the business end of the strategy is the opportunity of promoting a more positive image of Ethiopia to the World’s media and in diplomatic circles.

At the national level, the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority may be thought of as a mother caring for all protected areas and wildlife in the country, and as such it

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should develop its own Brand based on the realities and features of the present conservation efforts of the protected areas and their respective tourism products. The Brand should serve to distinguish the wildlife of Ethiopia as one of the country’s most valuable and unique assets. At the same time, it should differentiate the wildlife and wildlife tourism on offer in Ethiopia from that in the well-developed wildlife tourism countries of East Africa.

A powerful and strong wildlife Tourism brand will: • Spread the message about Ethiopia’s unique wildlife tourism assets, and its diverse environment which has become a sanctuary for extraordinary species. • Promote the pristine environment and endemic wildlife with a variety of activities. • Bolster national on-going conservation efforts and build pride in the unique living heritage of the country amongst all citizens. • Draw attention to the people, especially the communities that reside in and around the national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, who are the custodians of wildlife. In order for a wildlife-branding program to be successful, it needs to be convincing and well-coordinated. In addition, the creation of a wildlife brand should not only resound with the national brand but be coordinated amongst all sectors, including the associated government offices, NGOs, private sector professionals, teachers, students, and journalists.

The Consultants recommend that EWCA form a committee to coordinate the branding campaign. Among other tasks, the committee will undertake the following: • Organize and inform all stakeholders of the campaign effort; • Obtain input from civil society regarding the logo, image, and essence of the brand; • Coordinate efforts among public, private, and non-profit sectors to define the brand in a succinct, intuitive manner; • Ensure that the brand has simplicity and communicates strongly; • Ensure that the brand will transcend time; • Implement a patenting and licensing program; • Coordinate efforts to promote the brand in a uniform manner; • Develop guidelines for third parties who may have permission to use the wildlife brand – in order to promote and endorse conservation efforts, services and products provided by tourism traders and in-bound tour operators whose methods complement wildlife conservation activities. • Create long-term objectives for promoting and protecting the brand.

7.4 Developing Materials for Marketing Wildlife Tourism Good quality promotional materials make a strong connection between the prospective visitors and his or her tourism destination. They are a key component of

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wildlife tourism marketing. Essential ingredients include: (1) a dedicated web portal for promoting protected areas to tourists; (2) an illustrative, informative and well- written guidebook to the national parks and wildlife sanctuaries of Ethiopia; (3) geo- tourism map guide; and (4) circuit maps. Individual park guides and maps will also be produced (see Section 6.1). Each of these will bear the EWCA logo.

The following Marketing materials are central to the strategy for promoting Ethiopian Wildlife Tourism both nationally and internationally:

1. Web Portal – Protected Areas and Wildlife Tourism. Development of an innovative and attractive Protected Area web portal which showcases individual protected areas and their tourism products in a central website, and which offers fast retrieval of pages . (The current EWCA website is relatively slow). Highest quality photographs and short punchy texts should be aimed directly at the foreign traveler. Every page should be google-optimized and made available in the languages of the main client countries. Each protected area should have its own mini-website which can host individual park information, tourism products and services, wildlife and ongoing conservation efforts. It should also provide for social media links, such as with facebook and twitter, and provide a blog that could be maintained by the park warden and staff. If a suitable physical site is developed (for instance at the proposed waterhole in Senkelle Hartebeest Sanctuary, see Section 5.2.2), a web cam should be mounted over a waterhole to provide potential visitors with a view of the wildlife they are likely to encounter.

Some examples of similar websites: www.rootsofethiopia.com (The website of the Ethiopia Community Tourism parnership) www.sanparks.org (The website of South African National Parks – the leading conservation authority in the country) www.tanzaniaparks.com (The official website of Tanzania National Parks – the government body which manages and regulates areas designated as National Parks.)

Suggested domain names for the Ethiopia PA Tourism web portal: www.enparks.org www.etparks.org .

2. Complete Field Guide and Visitor Handbook – A complete guide to the natural life of Ethiopia with maps, illustrations and detailed descriptions of the National Parks of Ethiopia and other key conservation areas (Section 6.1).

3. Geotourism Mapguide – a map incorporating cultural and historical attractions but with a greater emphasis on protected areas than is found within existing map guides (Section 6.1).

4. Wildlife Circuit Maps – these are maps which provide circular routes connecting a number of protected areas with their own respective attractions. Examples discussed in this strategy are the Southern Wildlife Circuit and the South-Eastern Wildlife Circuit. The purpose of developing circuit maps is to

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provide the routes information and attractions that can be visited on a typical holiday tour, thereby enhancing visitors experience and maximizing tourist visitation.

5. Specialist Circuit Maps These are circuits designed to cater for visitors with specialised interests. Here we mention just two: The Unique Seven Circuit and The 500 Bird Circuit . We recommend that a third circuit – The African Flowers Circuit – catering for those with an interest in Ethiopia’s beautiful, distinctive and diverse flowering plants be researched according to season and location.

7.5 Market Launch

7.5.1 Meeting of Tour Operators and Traders Ethiopia has a variety of inbound tour operators that specialize in services for incoming visitors, expatriate residents and Ethiopian nationals. These tour operators may work with outbound tour operators who arrange for parties in other countries to conduct tours in Ethiopia. A list of inbound tour operators is provided in Annex 4. In their review of visitor data, the Ethiopian Sustainable Tourism Development Project (ESTDP) found that Ethiopia’s largest tourism markets included all the G8 member countries plus China and Australia. Tourism destinations in Ethiopia should focus their marketing on these key ten markets. Australia and Russia are considered in particular to be missed opportunities at present. Looking at it from the other direction, especially good penetration of markets was found in the case of Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, Israel and UK. These countries offer primary targets for wildlife tourism marketing. Once the promotional materials have been published (see Sections 6.4 and 7.1), EWCA and the Regional Authorities should initiate further contacts with inbound and outbound tour operators. We recommend that a ‘Market Launch’ workshop is organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Tour operators (inbound and outbound) and tour participants from various tourism trade, embassies and tourism institutions can be invited to an official function in which the wildlife circuits and newly developed tourism products within the protected areas will be launched. ESTDP has also been identifying existing and potential strategic partners, including international tour operators, airlines and affinity groups. The market launch ceremony should include the distribution of promotional materials on the destination level (wildlife circuits, parks and sanctuaries) and national level (Ethiopia as a country destination for wildlife tourists). The promotional material should be made available to all major hotels and bookshops. The best way of doing this will be to have the material printed and published by a high quality national publisher at an attractive price which will provide a financial incentive for printing further copies once the initial set of material is finished. Travel trade partners will be given electronic brochures and posters to help promote the program to their clients. The same material can be used to reach out to new markets such as in Australia and Russia, and in placing advertisements in magazines and newspapers (Section 7.5.7).

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7.5.2 Training of Stakeholders on Tourism Products All key stakeholders (travel trade, tour guides, government offices, NGOs) will need to be advised and trained on how to support the wildlife tourism programme. Training should include topics such as educating tourists, educating communities, promoting the initiative, and reporting problems to EWCA, etc.

7.5.3 Bird Watching and Training of Guides Inbound bird watching specialists (e.g. Nurgi Birding Ethiopia, and Solomon Berhe) and a number of general tour operators (such as Medir Tour, Yumo Tours, Dinknesh, Ethiopia Tour, and Ethiopia Quadrants) have overwhelmingly revealed that the largest constraint to bird watching tourism in Ethiopia is the lack of qualified guides. In fact, currently there are only around a half dozen in the country. Interestingly, most of them expressed interest in helping train other guides, realizing that this is one of the keys to increasing the sector and business of wildlife tourism.

7.5.4 ‘Fam Trip’ for Outbound Tour Operators Most of the outbound tour specialists are unaware of the rising potential of Ethiopian wildlife tourism products. This important step will engage with selected wildlife and nature-based outbound tour specialists in order to launch the newly developed wildlife circuits and tourism products into the international market. A key to the success of the overall launch programme will be in establishing partnerships with members of the travel trade in Ethiopia. They will be assisted in promoting the programme to their clients through the offer of “fam trips” – visits of outbound tour operators and partners to familiarize them with the wildlife tourism products of Ethiopia. Those invited can include international tour operators, national tour operators, Ethiopian Airlines, Hotels and Lodges, MoCT, EWCA and representatives of Regional Government. Representatives from all the G8 countries, plus Australia and China should be invited. Particular attention should be given to those markets where Ethiopian tourism has achieved high penetration (Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, Israel and UK). In addition to promoting the programme, some of these travel trade partners may also “buy-in” to the programme with some level of financial contribution.

The familiarization trip will incorporate the following: - Accommodation: visit and stay at lodges, wilderness campsites and hotels; - Activities: view and take part in a range of activities for tourists in the protected areas; - Circuits: drive on selected wildlife circuits (either the South-Eastern Circuit, a shortened version of the South Circuit, or a customized circuit taking in elements of both). - Interpretation: an expert from EWCA will participate in this “fam trip” to provide details of the developments undertaken within the protected areas, and also information about future activities that are planned, or are already being developed, as part of the Five-Year Wildlife Tourism Marketing Strategy.

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7.5.5 Trailer Video for Ethiopian Airlines Outbound tour operators will be shown the wildlife tourism products trailer-video. This will be on display during Ethiopian Airlines flights as part of their promotional window. It will also be placed on the Protected Area Tourism Web Portal.

7.5.6 Tourism Trade Fairs EWCA and MoCT will attend the major Tourism Trade Fairs such as: World Travel Market (London), ITB Berlin, and International Tourism Trade Fair (Madrid) to meet a wider selection of outbound tour operators and to disseminate the promotional materials.

7.5.7 Advertising As part of its promotion, EWCA can advertise its new wildlife safari / ecotourism opportunities in a few selected media such as BBC Wildlife Magazine, RSPB Birds, National Geographic, Audubon Magazine, Geo, etc., and in the travel sections of the larger Sunday and Weekend newspapers.

7.6 Recognition and Awarding (R&A) We recommend that EWCA establish an annual wildlife and tourism product- development award. The purpose of this award is to recognize service providers, associations or individuals that carried out exemplary work and thereby made a significant contribution to conservation, park management and tourism product development in one or more of Ethiopia’s protected areas. The award would be open to any kind of institution, including conservation organizations, protected area management authorities, private lodges, tour operators or individuals. Particular emphasis and recognition should be given to individual park managers and experts that successfully implement tourism product development and/or park conservation activities. The result of receiving this kind of award, and the recognition that goes with it, is often a greater sense of confidence in the individual’s ability to participate in conservation and tourism product development. The award- giving ceremony can serve as a wake-up call for other protected area management teams and eco-tourism organizations. It will also provide an opportunity for tourism and management professionals to share expertise between protected areas. It will furthermore create an opportunity to develop a deeper and more meaningful relationship amongst stakeholders over their common purpose – working for a healthy wildlife and protected area network that is beneficial to the environment and natural heritage of the country, supportive of local communities, supportive of tourism and management stakeholders that work with the wildlife sector, and both enjoyable and educational for visitors. In order to realize this R&A programme, and to ensure that it has a long-term future, we recommend that EWCA, the Sustainable Development of the Protected Area System in Ethiopia (SDPASE) and other key stakeholders consider taking the initiative of forming a committee which can develop objectives for the Recognition and Awarding scheme, an implementation plan, and budget. We recognise that funds are tight but believe that the goodwill and hard work stimulated by this modest award

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will repay the funding required many times over. It may be possible to share the funding costs with tourism partners.

7.7 Tourism Product Price

7.7.1 Admission to Parks - Price Review It is generally recognised that the admission price to protected areas in Ethiopia is well below that charged by neighbouring countries. At present the fee charged to foreign tourists for admission to all protected areas in Ethiopia is 90 birr for 48 hours, or about US$5.00 (i.e. $2.50 per day). Children less than 12 years old are charged 50 birr. For Ethiopians the adult fee is 20 birr and the children’s fee is 10 birr. For vehicles, a per-day vehicle fee of 20-40 birr (depending on whether the seat number is over 12) is charged to foreign tourists and 10-15 birr for Ethiopians. There is also a camping fee of 40 birr per tent for foreign tourists and 10 birr for Ethiopians. In some cases a mandatory scout fee is charged. Thus for a single foreign tourist the typical fee for driving into a park and spending one night camping there will be about 150 birr (US$8.50) plus the cost of hiring a scout if required/desired. It is worth noting that the cost of entrance into a park is uniform throughout the country. Thus the same charge is levied for entrance to a developed World Heritage Site like Simien Mountains National Park as to an undeveloped protected area with lesser conservation significance. By way of comparison the price for entry to protected areas in Kenya and Tanzania varies according to the category of park and is substantially higher than in Ethiopia (Table 7). For a foreign tourist in Tanzania, the typical fee for driving into a park and spending one night camping will be about US140 in a premier park like Serengeti and about US$105 using a public camp site in a park such as Lake Manyara, plus the cost of hiring a guide if desired. This is some twelve to sixteen times more than the price in Ethiopia. The price for certain specified activities and services in the national parks of Tanzania will rise again on 1 st July this year (2013). The cost of walking safaris will double and the cost of guiding fees will rise by at least 50%. Entrance fees will be renamed as Conservation fees and will rise by different amounts for different parks. In Serengeti they will rise by 20% for non-citizens. The new fee changes in Tanzania are meant to cover increasing operational costs, and provide services that have value for money. Renaming the park entry fee to conservation fee reflects the fact that it is meant for conservation purposes. Whilst the services provided in the premier national parks of Tanzania are to a high standard, many of the parks provide similar services to those on offer in Ethiopia. In Kenya, non-resident gate fees are similar to those in Tanzania although vehicle and camping fees are cheaper. For a foreign tourist in Kenya, the typical fee for driving into a non -premium park, like Tsavo, Meru or Kora, and spending one night camping is about $85 plus the cost of hiring a guide if desired . This is ten times the current price for the same services in Ethiopia. Camping in national parks is a popular recreational activity in South Africa amongst both residents and non-residents. Prices are generally cheaper than in East Africa for gate fees and camping. For a foreign tourist in South Africa, the typical fee for driving into Kruger National Park, and spending one night camping is about

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US$46.00 or five times the price in Ethiopia . There is a sophisticated range of accommodation, retail products and recreational activities in many South African parks and camps which raise substantial additional revenue from visitors. Much of the tourism income is generated by the high-end luxury lodges and luxury camps constructed within parks or bordering the parks. In Kenya and Tanzania, a range of special activities such as night game drives, lake boating, fishing and horse riding have their own additional fee rates.

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Table 7. Cost of tourism services and products in East African Parks

Type of FEES Name of park Country Fee rate category (Shs) (US$) 1. Entry Permit per person for 24 hours Citizens Non-Resident Serengeti NP Tanzania 1,500 50 Above the age 16 years Lake Manyara NP Tanzania 1,500 35 Tsavo NP Kenya 500 65 Between age 5 and 16 Serengeti NP Tanzania 500 10 Lake Manyara NP Tanzania 500 10 Tsavo NP Kenya 200 30 Children below age 5 Serengeti NP Tanzania free free Lake Manyara NP Tanzania free free Tsavo NP Kenya NA NA 2. Camping fees 2.1 Designated public camp site Above the age 16 years Serengeti NP Tanzania 1500 30 Lake Manyara NP Tanzania 1500 30 Tsavo NP Kenya 150 15 Between age 5 and 16 Serengeti NP Tanzania 500 5 Lake Manyara NP Tanzania 500 5 Tsavo NP Kenya 100 10 Children below age 5 Serengeti NP Tanzania free free Lake Manyara NP Tanzania free free Tsavo NP Kenya NA NA 2.2 Special camp site Above the age 16 years Serengeti NP Tanzania 2000 50 Lake Manyara NP Tanzania 2000 50 Tsavo NP Kenya 300 30 Between age 5 and 16 Serengeti NP Tanzania 1000 10 Lake Manyara NP Tanzania 1000 10 Tsavo NP Kenya 100 15 Children below age 5 Serengeti NP Tanzania free free Lake Manyara NP Tanzania free free Tsavo NP Kenya NA NA 3. Guide Service Walking/trekking guide Serengeti NP Tanzania 500 20 Lake Manyara NP Tanzania 500 20

Rate for Motor Vehicle 4. Motor Vehicles permit private, local foreign Tare weight up to 2000 Serengeti NP Tanzania 10,000 40 kg Lake Manyara NP Tanzania 10,000 40 Less than 6 seats Tsavo NP Kenya 300 (4) Tare weight 2001- Serengeti NP Tanzania 25,000 150 3000kg Lake Manyara NP Tanzania 25,000 150 tare weight 3001 - 7001 Serengeti NP Tanzania 50,000 200 kg above Lake Manyara NP Tanzania 50,000 200

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7.7.2 Recommended Price of Entry to Ethiopian Protected Areas There can be little doubt that foreign visitors to Ethiopian parks, especially those parks offering quality wilderness camps and a reasonable road network, would be prepared to pay substantially more than they do at present. The money if retained for conservation purposes would enable improvements to tourism products and park management to continue into the future. It should bring about a beneficial spiral with continuing improvements in conservation and wildlife tourism generating, in turn, increased income for Ethiopian parks. It is recommended that EWCA study the current pricing structure for visitors, and consider adopting a two-tiered structure to reflect the difference between premium parks (those developed for tourism) and those undeveloped or poorly developed (see Section 3.1). The entrance and camping fees for foreign tourists and foreign residents should be substantially increased. We recommend that the gate fee into premium parks is raised to 250 birr (US$14.00 approx.) and into other parks it is raised to 150 birr (US$8.00 approx.) for each 24 hour period in the park . Children less than 12 years old may continue to pay a low rate of 50 birr. The national rate may be increased by a lesser amount – 30 birr (10 birr for children) for each 24 hour period in the park for any category of park. Vehicle fees should be doubled to 40-80 birr per day depending on seat number. Camping fees should also be doubled within premium camps only, i.e. to 80 birr for foreign tourists and 20 birr for Ethiopians, per day. They can remain the same in other parks (40 birr for foreign tourists and 10 birr for Ethiopians, per day ). Thus for a single foreign tourist the typical fee for driving into a premium park and spending one night camping will rise to about 370 birr (US$20.00 approx.) plus the cost of hiring a scout if required/desired. In recognition of these increases to the gate fee, we recommend that federal and regional government substantially increase the budgets allocated to parks and sanctuaries and furthermore that a component of the budget is allocated specifically for improving wildlife tourism products and services. Park fees should be reviewed at 2-yearly intervals. Additionally, some form of revenue retention scheme could be introduced as for instance the one trialled at Mago National Park in the 1990s.

7.8 Low-volume, high-value tourism? At present the state of wildlife tourism in Ethiopia is depressed by comparison to neighbouring countries in East Africa and so inevitably the focus is on developing and marketing improved tourism products to increase visitor numbers in the parks. Once the sector is back on its feet, it will become increasingly important to influence the kind of wildlife tourism that is developed in the country. It is often recommended that countries wishing to develop eco-tourism in wildlife areas that are vulnerable to human impacts (such as construction of roads and buildings, water abstraction for hotel use, pollution of rivers or wetlands, and disturbance to wildlife) should espouse a “low-volume, high-value” form of tourism. In other words, they should seek to avoid the mass tourism of the Kenyan or Natal beaches in favour of the exclusive lodges of the Serengeti or Okavango Delta (some of the latter currently charge over US$1000.00 per night per person). On the other hand, some fear that this strategy may discriminate against nationals and also many

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foreigners, especially those with large families (that incur high fees), young scholars with little income, and others who simply cannot afford the high fees even although they may have specialized knowledge and interest in the region and its wildlife. One partial solution is for Ethiopia to develop different parks for different purposes. For instance, parks close to the capital city in other countries have been developed for recreational purposes, such as Lake MacIlwaine Recreational Park in Zimbabwe and Nairobi National Park in Kenya. Other ‘wilderness parks’ are developed for off-track camping and hiking, and yet others for high-end tourism and the luxury market. Another solution is to provide a range of accommodation in the same park, from high-end (luxury lodge) to low-end (wilderness campsite) but to limit numbers of people in the Park by limiting the number of beds and tents through a booking system. This allows all who value the park to visit and still enables the park to make a large income from a small number of high-end visitors creating a relatively small footprint.

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8. CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES

8.1 Improving Park Management in Support of Tourism Tourism cannot flourish in parks that suffer from weak management. Good roads, relaxed and abundant wildlife, clean camps, efficient, friendly staff and supportive local communities are prerequisites of enjoyable visits to the park. Ethiopia has some excellent park staff and facilities but in many protected areas the visitor’s enjoyment is impaired by aspects of weak management. Partly this is a consequence of low park budgets but it also reflects policies that are geared more to park protection than to visitor enjoyment or community participation in tourism. In this section, some aspects of park management that needed attention in protected areas visited by the Consultants are reviewed.

8.1.1 Campsite Management In most of the parks and sanctuaries of Ethiopia, the main visitor accommodation within the park or its immediate vicinity is the campsite. When it comes to rating the level of satisfaction of visits to these parks, tourists consider the quality of the campsite to be just as important as the quality of the game drive, mountain trek or foot safari. A clean, quiet, uncrowded and well-situated campsite with a well-kept toilet and supply of firewood makes for happy campers and happy tourists. Better still are campsites with a river, hot spring, or water supply nearby; if this is not available, the park should supply freshwater and firewood at the entrance gate or headquarters. Many Ethiopian parks have well-situated campsites but many fail to provide a quality camping experience. Examples are provided in Section 5.2.

8.1.2 Road Maintenance Of equal importance to the campsite is the access road leading from the nearest all- weather public road to the park gate. If tourists cannot reach the park, it is effectively closed. Once inside the park, the tourist requires an internal network of tracks for game-viewing, night game driving and for access to special sites of interest. The road network is also vital for providing park staff with good access to different areas of the park. New protected areas should establish one or more good quality campsite and open a network of tracks for game viewing. Existing parks need to focus their resources on maintaining the existing network of tracks – repairing sections damaged by erosion and cutting back bushes and tall grass encroaching on the road. It may be necessary to use a tractor and trailer to spread gravel in wet areas to maintain access during the rains. Again, examples may be found in Section 5.2

8.1.3 Vehicle Maintenance At present the maintenance and repair of vehicles is the responsibility of the Warden of each park. Vehicles are supposed to be maintained in private garages. In practice, the budget is usually inadequate and it is common to find unserviceable vehicles in the parks. To take one specific example, the Consultants recommend that SNNPR repair the EU-donated tractor at Mago National Park and use it to maintain roads in Mago NP and Maze NP. Given the number of parks in its territory, it may be more economical for SNNPR to hire a fulltime mechanic to repair and maintain park

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vehicles, tractors and boats. If not, then a realistic budget must be earmarked for tractor and vehicle maintenance.

8.1.4 Vegetation Management Many of the Rift Valley and lowland parks have dense scrub and tall grass which obscures visibility making it almost impossible for tourists to view game animals and enjoy the scenery. This reduces the enjoyment of a visit to the protected areas by a considerable amount. In the past big herds of the larger-sized mammals, including buffalo, elephant, hippo and zebra, would have created open areas by trampling and grazing. These open patches would support new grass growth that attracts smaller animals such as gazelles, hartebeest and warthog. They would also provide improve viewing conditions for visitors to the parks. Today, few parks in Ethiopia have large numbers of the larger-sized mammals because of past and present illegal hunting. As a result there are no natural open areas to encourage the smaller animals and enhance viewing. For this reason, park management has to intervene to improve matters. One solution is to burn patches of vegetation along the game-viewing tracks early in the dry season, as is currently undertaken by park management in Maze National Park. This stimulates new growth of grass and herbs which attracts grazing animals and also improves visibility. Burning the whole park is not recommended as it can lead to a temporary exodus of game animals and a loss of woodland habitat. Instead the fire-management team can burn patches of grass, at night and early in the season whilst the grass is still green and moist, and therefore easily controlled. Roads and rivers can act as firebreaks. Every effort should be made not to burn the whole park but just patches along the game-viewing roads. Park management can also clear the bush and tall grass by hand-cutting. As this is labour intensive, it should only be employed at sensitive locations such as at campsites, at viewing points to provide more open viewing conditions, along footpaths and around the buildings as a firebreak. It is recommended that an expert in fire management in East African national parks be recruited to prepare a fire management plan for the parks of Ethiopia, and to provide training in fire management techniques.

8.1.5 Training in Tourism Services Providing top quality tourism services and products is a sophisticated and challenging business that requires understanding of the exacting requirements and expectations of local and foreign visitors and excellent language skills. Guides, scouts and senior staff should be provided with training in how to interact with tourists. It is important to make the tourists feel welcome and at home and to ensure that their needs are looked after. This can be achieved with well-trained park guides, backed up by polite senior park staff. In addition the visitor needs to feel safe which is a prime responsibility of the warden and scouts. However the visitor also needs to understand the park regulations and abide by the rules. If off-road driving is not permitted then it is up to the guides, scouts and senior staff to communicate this effectively to visitors and to enforce the rules if necessary, politely but firmly. One way of doing this is to endorse guide certificates with any offences committed. It is recommended that training in the development of tourism products and in the preparation of Tourism Development Plans is delivered to wardens and senior park staff. In year 1 of the strategy, this training should be provided to the staff of

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thirteen protected areas (Table 8 and Section 9.2). In years 2 & 3, training in the provision of tourism services will be provided to guides, wardens and senior staff of the six flagship parks (BMNP, CCNP, GNP, NNP & SMNP; Section 9.3). For this purpose, the expertise and experience of those involved in providing guiding services at BMNP, SMNP and Guassa Community Conservation Area will be invaluable. At the same time, visitor guidelines will be prepared for each park to inform staff and visitors of the regulations that have been put in place to enhance the safety and enjoyment of the park by visitors. It is recommended that senior staff from each park are provided with a dedicated training course in leadership for tourism and park management to supplement the more academic training received in courses taught at College and University. Wardens and experts have a special responsibility in providing a well conserved Park with a high standard of tourism services. The importance of maintaining good community relations should be emphasised and the need to provide local employment when possible. Senior staff will be expected to lead by example and to monitor all tasks given to their junior staff including daily routine tasks, such as cleaning camps and toilets, issuing entry permits and gathering visitor data in the registration book.

8.2 Connecting tourism to the community

8.2.1 Benefit Sharing The opportunity provided by some national parks for communities to establish associations for providing tourism services to the park can be an important step in the development of those communities. Through this institutional process the communities usually come to realize the benefits of the protected areas which enable them to gain a sense of the need to safeguard the parks and protect the wildlife. With larger parks, those communities that live closest to the tourism accommodation, or tour starting point, may become the sole beneficiaries. Communities and community members who are not benefiting directly are likely to complain. Obviously, not everybody can be involved directly in providing services and the protected area cannot make everybody happy. But the direct service providers should have to contribute from the income they receive directly or indirectly from tourism and share some portion of it in the wider community. Distributing indirect tourism benefits through the community can be challenging and yet the success of the park and its tourism depends on the benefits generated reaching as many people as possible. Without strong support from the community, the development of tourism products and a quality tourism experience will be constrained. One approach which is gaining acceptance in the Guassa Community Conservation Area in Ethiopia is to place a 5- 10 % community levy on the income received by direct service providers, and collect this tax into a community tourism fund. Money from the community fund is then allocated annually to help solve some of the needs that have been raised by the community. In each community affected, the service providers and park management officials should work together to design an acceptable and agreed system.

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8.2.2 Regulation of Community Tourism Services Associations of community service provider have been established in some of the developed national parks of Ethiopia to provide services to the tourists visiting the park. Examples include associations of local tour guides, porters, horse/mule providers and cooks. The services rendered by these associations play an important part in raising the quality of tourism on offer within the protected areas. When it comes to the management and responsibility of the service associations, the situation is currently rather ambiguous. For instance, in Jinka there is a local guiding enterprise that has become notorious for the misbehaviour of its members and the misinformation provided to tourists. In fact, it has become known as the “Jinka Mafia” by various tourism traders and is indicated as such in various travel guidebooks. While conducting our field trip, we encountered a group of tourists who were strongly discouraged from visiting Mago National Park by these tour guides. They were also told that it was not possible for them to visit the Park unless accompanied by a member of the guide association. A single, relatively-undeveloped, destination such as Mago National Park cannot accommodate many service providers (such as tour guides). Furthermore tourists prefer guides who can speak English (or other European languages), who are respectful, and who are well trained in providing quality services for the intended destination. Regulations to control the quality and standard of service should be put in place in each protected area. Without such regulations, the service may deteriorate and end up spoiling the image of the country and the park. Regulation alone is ineffective. At Jinka, a manager needs to be appointed by SNNPR to monitor compliance to regulations: he should demonstrate leadership in working with responsible guides, and exert discipline and impose penalties on those who fail to meet the high standards required.

8.2.3 Use of guidelines and systems developed by FZS/BMNP In order to further reduce the kind of problem mentioned, it is recommended that a robust system is designed that will standardize service provision to tourists. A crucial aspect is the requirement that service providers should be members of a recognised association, and furthermore should only be able to work if they have obtained a current permit from the Protected Areas authority. In order to ensure that the system is operating as intended, an additional monitoring system should be put in place to evaluate the services being provided by each association. Renewal of the tourism work permits will only take place if the quality of the tourism service meets the required standard. A good example for this kind of system can be found at Bale Mountains National Park, where Frankfurt Zoological Society has developed guidelines for a number of service providers which have to be signed by each Association and the Bale Mountains National Park authority. The aim of this agreement is to establish and outline the duties and responsibilities of the BMNP and service provider associations, when operating in the BMNP. It is one important step to be undertaken for the management of tourism services in the protected areas. It would be improved by introducing a further step in which service provision by individual members of the Association are evaluated according to a fixed set of criteria, and their permit is renewed on an annual basis subject to their satisfactory performance.

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8.2.4 Illegal grazing and farming Many parks and sanctuaries in Ethiopia have degraded over several decades as a result of illegal cattle grazing and farming. This is a major national and regional issue which is being addressed by Government through negotiated resettlement. Although resolution of this problem is a key factor in developing a healthy wildlife tourism sector, it is not something that is easily resolved. In some cases, donor-funded projects have provided the necessary resources to secure settlements (e.g. partial resettlements at Simien Mountain National Park and at Nech-Sar National Park). Benefits from tourism services can provide a more favourable climate for park-community negotiations. The marketing strategy developed here encourages the involvement of communities in the provision of tourism services and it can be implemented immediately. It should assist in parallel efforts that may be on-going to solve community issues involving illegal use of the park.

8.3 Cost of tourism products

8.3.1 Park Budgets and Core Activities Section 7.7.2 of this report recommends a rise in the gate entrance fees which will increase the revenue taken by Government. The extra income will help to offset the increased costs incurred in managing the national parks and sanctuaries to a higher standard. It is intended that the entry and camping fees should reflect the quality of the services on offer to visitors, however they can still remain substantially lower than the equivalent fees charged in East and southern Africa. In year 1 of the marketing strategy, the improvements to tourism products will be implemented with “current resources”. The term “current resources” does not mean that these tourism developments are cost free. They have cost but the funds to meet those costs should come from the Park’s core budget. For instance, functioning vehicles are required in the parks to assist with road maintenance and efficient park management. Consequently the parks should either be provided with a budget that is sufficient to cover essential repair and maintenance costs (using private garages), or EWCA/SNNPR should provide the services of a mechanic and mobile workshop to service and repair the vehicles (i.e. the tractors, trailers, cars, boats and trucks that belong to the parks). Repairing and maintaining the network of roads within a national park is a core activity, as is repairing the entry road to ensure the park stays open in wetter months. Good roads are essential both as a tourism service to allow for camping and game viewing, and as a support for park management which cannot otherwise respond quickly to problems or undertake their duties efficiently. It is the responsibility of Government to ensure that the budgets are realistic for these purposes. It will not be possible to develop tourism products within the national parks and sanctuaries of Ethiopia unless the protected areas are provided with sufficient funds to cover their core activities. In recognition of the actions currently being taken by EWCA to increase park gate fees, we recommend that EWCA work with Regional Governments to analyse the funding and staffing needs of parks on the Southern and South- Eastern Wildlife Circuits, and also those flagship/premium parks identified in

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Section 9. The review of park needs and costs should recognise the different funding requirements of well-developed parks such as BMNP, partly developed parks such as Mago NP and Senkelle Hartebeest Sanctuary, and new parks that are currently undeveloped such as Loka Abaya National Park and Yabello National Park. EWCA should then negotiate with the Ministry for more realistic budgets to pay for the management of its protected areas. We have recommended that EWCA sends a monitoring team to visit each protected area on the Southern and South-Eastern Wildlife Circuits. In the first year of circuit development, three monitoring visits are recommended (Table 8, Section 9.1); thereafter an annual visit will be sufficient. The monitors should assess standards of development and maintenance of tourism-related products, services and information in each protected area. The monitoring forms that they complete should include information about whether or not park vehicles are in-service and park roads are open. They should also comment on the adequacy of the annual budget to support core activities and services in each PA.

8.4 Private Sector Partnership Developing the larger tourism products will require additional resources to those provided in the park budgets. In some cases the product may require substantial investment before it can be developed. The following are some examples of larger tourism products: • Construction of a new park lodge • Development of a luxury campsite • Training of staff to be employed at high-end tourism facilities • Major improvement to the park’s road network • Construction of a large bridge that opens up a new tourism route • Construction of a waterhole or pan for game animals • Development of a hot spring • Advanced training of staff at an international centre of excellence • Community conservation programmes that incur significant costs • Construction of a modern Information Centre with materials.

In developing major tourism products, it will be necessary to find additional funds from external sources – government, donors or the private sector. Often it may be fruitful to establish a partnership for this purpose between EWCA, the Regional Administration, the private sector and local communities. This inclusive form of tourism development is becoming more common in the wildlife/parks sector in Africa. Practical assistance should be forthcoming from the Ethiopian Tour Operators Association. In time, it may become useful to establish a committee of high-level stakeholders to guide partnership developments of this kind, but the focus now should be on piloting a few examples in the flagship parks.

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9. IMPLEMENTATION OF MARKETING STRATEGY

9.1 Introduction A strategy is only useful if successfully implemented. In this final chapter we outline the steps to be taken by EWCA and its partners in order to implement the Marketing Strategy for Wildlife Tourism.

The Consultants wish to emphasize one key finding. The success of the marketing strategy depends critically on the standard of tourism services and products in the parks. According to the observations made on our field missions to many protected areas, this standard is almost universally low at present. The reason for this low level is not in most cases due to lack of investment by tour operators and tourist traders. It is due to weak park management which has resulted in the following low-quality tourism services: • poor quality or non-existent campsites and accommodation, • closed or inadequate internal tracks for game drive circuits, • poor visibility in tall grassland due to lack of fire management, • time-consuming park entrance arrangements, • lack of easily-available information on the parks, and • many other inadequacies. Most of these problems can be overcome with better use of current park resources, and some training. No matter how good the tourism marketing, it will not succeed unless these issues are addressed within the strategy. A similar conclusion has been reached by ESTDP in their on-going development of a tourism policy implementation plan. They highlight the poor management of tourism destinations in the Southern and Eastern routes (pers. comm.).

Implementation of the marketing strategy for wildlife tourism will take place in two stages: a One-Year Wildlife Circuit Development Programme (to begin immediately) which will focus on improving the wildlife products within protected areas using currently available resources (Section 9.2); and a Five-Year Marketing Implementation Programme (also to begin immediately) which will (a) raise the standard of tourism products in six flagship parks to match the highest international standards, (b) raise the standard of the Southern Wildlife Circuit (SWC) and South Eastern Wildlife Circuit (SEWC), (c) develop the highest quality promotional and marketing material including maps, guides and web portal, and (d) launch a marketing campaign aimed at achieving a major increase in wildlife tourism in the country (Section 9.3).

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In the first stage (one-year timeframe), tourism products and services in national parks and sanctuaries will be improved using current resources, or in some cases with the aid of modest additional resources. These improvements can be made immediately in the first year and should result in a much greater level of current visitor satisfaction and longer periods of stay within PAs. Information and interpretation materials will be prepared in the first year to be used for marketing the Southern and South-Eastern Wildlife Circuits and three specialist circuits (focussing on mammals, birds and plants respectively) that are designed for particular groups of enthusiast.

In the second stage (five-year timeframe), tourism products in six premium or flagship protected areas, representing wildlife in the highlands, Rift Valley and western lowlands of Ethiopia, will be improved and diversified with the assistance of EWCA, MoCT, Regional Authorities, the private sector, development agencies and other stakeholder. The aim will be to raise levels of tourism experience within these parks and sanctuaries to the highest international standards and to provide a model for future development of other protected areas in the country. All stakeholders will be familiarized with the new tourism products and trained in the provision of high-end tourism services. Part of this process will involve a branding and image enhancement exercise for EWCA. Finally the new wildlife tourism products and circuits will be marketed to outbound and inbound tour operators.

The timing of the overall programme implementation is set out in Table 8.

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Table 8. Implementation Plan for Wildlife Tourism Development Over 5 Years Program Activities Five-year plan Responsible party IP = Individual Park Authorities 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 1. PA Tourism Development One -Year Tourism Development Plans (TDPs ) prepared f or EWCA/IP & partners individual PAs in the SWC and SEWC

Training Workshop for tourism product development EWCA/IP & partners

One-Year TDPs – implementation phase EWCA/IP & partners

Five-Year TDPs prepared for six flagship parks EWCA/IP & partner

Tourism Investment Partners - Invitations and ‘ Fam trip ’ EWCA/IP & partner

Five-Year TDPs – implementation phase EWCA/IP & partner Training of guides and senior staff in tourism services, in 5 flagship EWCA/IP & partners parks

Monitoring of tourism product developments in PAs EWCA/IP & partners

2. Information Products for Individual Protected Areas

Individual park information material preparation EWCA/IP & partners

Logo, tagline/slogan for protected areas EWCA/IP & partners Produce high quality descriptive marketing materials, including EWCA/IP & partners maps and guides for individual PAs 3. Branding and Image Enhancement

National wildlife tourism branding EWCA & partners 4. Developing Marketing Material for Wildlife Circuits

Protected area web portal development EWCA & partners

Production of maps and guides for Wildlife Circuits EWCA & partners

Trailer-Video of Wildlife Circuits EWCA & partners

Geo-tourism map guide EWCA & partners

Complete Field Guide and Visitor Handbook EWCA & partners 5. Market launch

Meeting of inbound tour operators to launch wildlife circuits EWCA & partners

Meeting between inbound tour operators and tourism traders EWCA & partners

Training of all stakeholders in wildlife tourism products EWCA & partners

Bird watching and guiding training EWCA & partners

Market launch workshop; ‘Fam trip ’ for outbound tour operators EWCA & partners

World Tourism Trade Fair EWCA & partners Advertising – Trailer video for Ethiopian Airlines Promotional EWCA & partners Window; Ads in magazines and newspaper travel sections

Recognition and Awarding EWCA & partners

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9.2 ONE YEAR PLAN – DEVELOPING WILDLIFE TOURISM CIRCUITS

1. Wildlife Tourism Circuits Five wildlife tourism circuits will be developed in the first year. Two standard circuits (see Section 5.3.3) will be developed and marketed:

(1) Southern Wildlife Circuit (SWC) linking Senkelle HS, Chebera Churchura NP, Maze NP, Mago NP and Nech-Sar NP with the addition of Yabello NP, Loka Abaya NP and Wilshet-Sala Controlled Hunting Area for specialised tours.

(2) South-Eastern Wildlife Circuit (SEWC) linking Bale Mountains National Park, Sof Omar Caves, Wabe Shebelle Gorge, Awash National Park and Alledeghi Wildlife Reserve.

Three specialist circuits will also be developed (Section 5.3.4):

(3) Unique-7 Circuit will give those on the tour an opportunity to observe the distinctive large mammals of Ethiopia. The tour will begin with Simien Mountains National Park travel down the Rift Valley to Senkelle Wildlife Sanctuary and Maze National Park, and from there move to Bale Mountains National Park. Tourists will have the opportunity to view all seven of Ethiopia’s unique-7 mammals.

(4) 500 Bird Circuit will give tour members the opportunity to see a large number of Ethiopia’s birds including many endemics in a wide variety of habitats.

(5) Flowers of Africa Circuit will give those on the tour an opportunity to observe many of the distinctive and beautiful flowers of Ethiopia.

The first stage in preparing these circuits will be to improve the existing tourism products and services in the national parks and sanctuaries that will be visited (details in Section 5.3). 1-Year Tourism Development Plans will be prepared for each of the following selected PAs and implemented during year 1 of the Marketing Strategy.

1.Alledeghi Wildlife Reserve 2.Awash National Park 3.Bale Mountains National Park 4.Chebera Churchura National Park 5.Gambela National Park 6.Loka Abaya National Park 7.Mago National Park Comment [y1]: (SWS) Omo National park 8.Maze National Park 9.Nech-Sar National Park 10. Senkelle Hartebeest Sanctuary 11. Simien Mountains National Park

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12. Wilshet-Sala Controlled Hunting Area ?? 13. Yabello National Park 14. Abijata and Shalla Lakes National Park Comment [y2]: 14 ASLNP is IBA site and circuit of Central Rift valley to South East of Bale Mountains National Park & SWC (NSNP,SSHS, CCNP) Other PAs that can be visited as part of an extended version of the five circuits outlined above be encouraged to develop their own Tourism Development Plans based on the existing plans in similar parks.

2. Joint Planning Meeting for Wildlife Tourism Development It is recommended that a meeting is convened at an early stage with senior PA management officials from both EWCA and SNNPR to discuss the development of a Southern Wildlife Circuit and the Marketing Strategy for Wildlife Tourism. Prior to this meeting, the SNNPR should be briefed on the rationale for developing a Southern Wildlife Circuit jointly with EWCA as part of a strategy for developing wildlife tourism in the country.

The objectives and proceedings of the meeting will be as follows: 1. Presentation of the findings contained in the tourism marketing strategy; 2. Reach agreement on the immediate steps to be taken jointly by EWCA and SNNPR to improve the tourism products and services within both federal and regional managed protected areas (using currently available resources); 3. Reach agreement on the development of a Southern Wildlife Circuit that links selected parks and sanctuaries, including both federal and regional managed protected areas. Similar steps should be taken as necessary for reaching agreement on development of the South Eastern Wildlife Circuit. 4. Reach agreement on convening a training workshop involving wardens and wildlife/tourism experts from each of the selected PAs (see below). 5. Reach agreement that 1-Year Tourism Development Plans prepared during the workshop will be supported and that any modest additional resources requested will be found so as to ensure successful implementation. 6. Reach agreement on a timescale for implementation of 1-Year Tourism Development Plans (suggested maximum of seven months). 7. Reach agreement on the implementation of a monitoring programme that will oversee implementation of the 1-Year Tourism Development Plans (see below). 8. Reach agreement on the establishment of a joint EWCA-SNNPR committee to oversee the implementation of the SWC. Reach a similar agreement as necessary for overseeing implementation of the SEWC.

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3. Training Workshop for Preparing 1-Year Tourism Development Plans Following the joint planning meeting, we recommend that a 3-day workshop is convened by training experts from EWCA. Wardens and wildlife/tourism experts from each of the selected PAs should attend. As part of the workshop they will be responsible for preparing realistic and feasible 1-Year Tourism Development Plans for their parks. The proceedings of the workshop will be as follows: 1. EWCA training experts will present the tourism development strategy, the concept of wildlife tourism circuits and the SWC and SEWC in particular. 2. EWCA training experts will present the concept of tourism products and services and provide examples of how they can be greatly improved by management using currently available resources. 3. Training will be provided to show wardens and experts how to plan and develop their own tailor-made tourism products and services within their protected areas. 4. 1-Year Tourism Development Plans * will be developed for each protected area in the SWC and SEWC: a. These plans will be based on the outline development plans contained in this marketing strategy document (Section 5); b. They will be expanded into full development plans with participation of park staff ; c. Presentation of the draft plans will be made by the wardens; d. Final plans will be prepared in Amharic and English; e. Checksheets will be prepared for each PA in Amharic and English for use in the monitoring programme (see below). f. EWCA and SNNPR will be requested to approve or amend the plans within 2 weeks.

*1-Year Tourism Development Plans will include the following: • Description of tourism products and services for each PA; • Plan of minor works and activities required to implement each product/service to a satisfactory level; • A time schedule for the plan of minor works and activities. All tourism product developments should be completed within a short period of time (within a maximum of 6 months); • The 1-Year Tourism Development Plans will list any additional resources or assistance required to ensure successful implementation.

The outcome of the workshop will be (a) 1-Year Tourism Development Plans for each park represented at the workshop; (b) trained senior staff with a clear understanding as to how to raise the standard of tourism products in their parks; (c) a list of resources required (if any) by each park/sanctuary to implement the plan; (d) monitoring checksheets for each park to be used by the monitoring team to ensure that the planned work is implemented on time.

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4. Implementation of TDPs and Monitoring Implementation of 1-Year Tourism Development Plans will commence immediately after their approval by EWCA and SNNPR. It is recommended that a high-level monitoring team be established which reports directly to the joint EWCA-SNNPR committee for overseeing implementation of the SWC. It should comprise representatives from both EWCA and SNNPR. The monitoring team will visit each selected PA within 4-6 weeks of approval of the 1-Year Tourism Development Plan to ensure that implementation is proceeding according to plan and to overcome any unforeseen obstacles to progress. As part of the monitoring mission, they will complete and sign monitoring checksheets for each PA. A second monitoring mission will take place after a further six weeks if recommended. A final monitoring and evaluation mission will take place 7 months from approval. It will provide a full report to the joint EWCA-SNNPR committee. Similar arrangements will be put in place for monitoring implementation of the 1-Year Tourism Development Plans in the SEWC.

5. Information and Marketing Given the importance of high quality visual information in promoting and marketing the protected areas, it is recommended that EWCA recruit an expert in graphic design to prepare brochures for each protected area illustrating the new wildlife and tourism attractions. They should also print an illustrated guide and map of the SWC and the SEWC. A local publisher, such as Shama Books which has the capacity to print colour images to a high standard should be chosen to produce the brochures and guide (Section 6.2).

A selection of high quality, high resolution, images for each protected area should also be compiled. The brochures, guides and images will be utilised for marketing the SWC and SEWC to inbound tour operators and travel trade partners.

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9.3 FIVE-YEAR IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FOR MARKETING WILDLIFE TOURISM

1. Introduction to Flagship Parks The purpose of the five-year implementation plan is to raise the standard of wildlife tourism products in Ethiopia, making them comparable to those of neighbouring countries with highly successful wildlife tourism sectors (such as Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa and Tanzania). It is recognised that this cannot be done simultaneously in all parks. Instead a small number of flagship (or premium) parks will be selected for greater investment in tourism products and services and for promotional purposes. Every effort will be made to develop high-end camps or lodges in the flagship parks and to diversity the present range of tourism products, raising the level of products and overall tourism service to the highest international standard. The flagship parks will be prioritised in the marketing programme for national and international tour operators and promoted as high-end tourism products.

2. Policy on Best Practice in Developing Parks At the same time, the opportunity should be taken to strengthen policy on best practice concerning park developments. It is important that Ethiopia establishes a reputation for eco-friendly infrastructure within its parks: its buildings should have a high aesthetic appeal and architectural merit as well as a small ecological footprint. Even more important is the need to limit the number of lodges and permanent structures within protected areas. Policy is needed to avoid the ‘Maasai Mara effect’ in which a proliferation of lodges in the most scenic areas has proved so damaging to the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem of Kenya and Tanzania. Lodges situated along the borders of parks provide an incentive for lodge owners to work with local communities to ensure that wildlife is undisturbed in the vicinity of the lodge. In other words, these lodges bring multiple benefits – (a) they do not cause damage to pristine habitats within the parks, (b) they extend the wildlife area to the borders of the parks and beyond, and (c) they encourage good relations between the surrounding communities, the lodge owners and managers, and the park. What is required in Ethiopia is a combination of good policy and examples of that policy in practice - parks with quality lodges and other development in which policy is strongly adhered to. These six flagship parks are intended to provide examples of good policy being put into practice.

3. Selection of Flagship Parks We propose six flagship (or premium) protected areas: Bale Mountains and Simien Mountains National Parks in the highlands, Nech-Sar National Park, Senkelle Hartebeest Sanctuary and Chebera Churchura National Park in the Rift Valley, and Gambela National Park in the western lowlands. These six flagship parks represent the three major wildlife tourism assets of the country: • Roof of Africa – Simien Mountains NP and Bale Mountain NP with their mountain vistas and high levels of distinctive endemic species;

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• Rift Valley Paradise – Nech-Sar NP, Senkelle HS and Chebera-Churchura NP with their savannah grasslands, woodlands and forests with large mammals and lake birds; • Great Wildlife Migration – Gambela NP with half a million of the white-eared kob antelope trekking in from Boma NP in South Sudan each dry season to enjoy the lakes and wetlands of Gambela that they share with elephant, buffalo, waterbuck and a host of other animals. Four of these parks are flagships for the newly formed Wildlife Circuits: – Southern Wildlife Circuit (Nech-Sar NP, Senkelle HS and Chebera- Churchura NP); – South-Eastern Wildlife Circuit (Bale Mountains NP).

All six are flagships for the three specialist circuits: – Unique Seven Circuit (SMNP, SHS, BMNP); – 500 Bird Circuit (SMNP, BMNP, NSNP & GNP) and – Flowers of Africa Circuit (SMNP, BMNP, SHS & NSNP).

Additional reasons for their selection are as follows:

Bale Mountains National Park (BMNP) has been selected for the following reasons: • High biodiversity value – BMNP has an exceptionally wide diversity of habitats from alpine meadows to lowland evergreen forest supporting a wide range of plants and animals including 5 of the “ Unique 7 ”); • World Heritage Site – BMNP is on UNESCO’s official Tentative List for inscribing as a world heritage site: http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5315/ • Growth in tourism - The park has experienced strong growth in tourism in recent years which is driving demand for a greater range of improved tourism products; • Quality of existing accommodation – BMNP receives frequent criticism from visitors for the poor service quality of the Dinsho Self-help Lodge. A privately managed luxury lodge currently under construction will go some way towards rectifying this problem but there will still remain strong demand for a well- managed middle-range lodge at the headquarters; • Strong community programme – BMNP is developing a strong community programme in which communities benefit directly from a range of services that they provide to the park. There are good prospects of expanding the programme to benefit all community stakeholders around the park.

Simien Mountains National Park (SMNP) has been selected for the following reasons: • High biodiversity value – SMNP has an exceptionally wide diversity of habitats with a wide range of plants and animals including the three endemics: Gelada Baboon, Ethiopian Wolf and Walia ibex. • World Heritage Site – it is the only national park inscribed by UNESCO on the world heritage site list due to the park’s spectacular landscape and the global significance of its biodiversity conservation. SMNP is currently on the UNESCP WHS Endangered list – however there are on-going initiatives from

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government, NGOs and communities to restore SMNP to the full UNESCO list. • Growth in tourism – the park has experienced strong growth in tourism in recent years which is driving demand for a greater range of improved tourism products. • Accommodation programme – SMNP enjoys the privilege of accommodating the only top-end lodge currently operating within a national park. It prides itself on using both traditionally-inspired architecture and eco-friendly energy systems. Further into SMNP, visitors rely on campsites which can be overcrowded in peak season. There is an opportunity to develop community- private partnership village lodges on the edges of SMNP as part of the community and conservation programme.

Nech-Sar National Park (NNP) has been selected for the following reasons: • High biodiversity value – NNP has a wide range of Rift Valley habitats from open grassland to wooded savanna, groundwater forest, lacustrine and lake habitats. • High tourism visitation rate – with over 24,000 national and international visitors per year, NNP has much the highest visitor rate of all national parks in the country, however visitors do not stay for so long as they do at SMNP. • Accessibility – Regular service by Ethiopian Airways to Arba Minch combined with excellent road links to Addis Ababa and Awassa provide the potential for strong tourism growth in the future. • Training centre – EWCA has a programme for locating a Wildlife Training Centre in Nech-Sar National Park. Upgraded management of NNP will improve the field training available for those enrolled at the Centre which will be of benefit throughout the network of PAs. • Community relations – NNP has suffered from difficult community relations over many years. Federal and regional governments have both indicated their support for finding a permanent solution to the on-going conflicts between cattle grazing and park wildlife.

Senkelle Hartebeest Sanctuary (SHS) has been selected for the following reason. • High biodiversity value – SHS is the principal site in Ethiopia for conserving the endangered and endemic Swayne’s hartebeest. • Accessibility – Close to Awassa and relatively close to Addis Ababa with excellent road links, SHS is easily accessible for weekend excursions. • Potential for luxury lodge development – SHS has a beautiful, traditionally-built visitor centre nearing completion that could double as a lodge reception and restaurant area. The park is far from free-standing water sources, which means that a waterhole or pan developed in front of the lodge/visitor centre would provide a strong desirability for animals and a wonderful attraction for tourists.

Chebera Churchura National Park (CCNP) has been selected for the following reasons: • High biodiversity value – CCNP has a wide range of Rift Valley habitats including: grassland with scattered trees, woodland of various types, montane forest, riparian forest and five lakes.

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• Large mammals – CCNP has a relatively large populations of elephant and buffalo. It also has lion and leopard which means that 4 of the Big 5 are present. • Potential for mammal viewing – CCNP has a hot spring with excellent viewing conditions. Elephants and buffalo visit regularly but mostly at night at present. • Accessibility – CCNP is on the Southern Circuit and relatively accessible compared to Gambela and Omo National Parks (the only other locations where 4 of the “ Big 5 ” occur in Ethiopia). • Undeveloped state of management – CCNP is an example of a new park which at present is poorly known and seldom visited. It can provide a model for development of new Rift Valley parks. • Community relations – At present community relations are good but they are being tested by an elephant-farmer conflict in the south and a recent incident of ivory poaching. There is scope for developing new community programmes.

Gambela National Park (GNP) has been chosen for the following reasons: • Large mammals – GNP has a high diversity of large animals including Buffalo, Giraffe, Tiang (topi), Waterbuck, Roan Antelope, White-eared Kob, Nile Lechwe, Burchell’s Zebra, Bushbuck, Reedbuck, Warthog and Elephant. The rivers host healthy populations of Hippopotamus and Nile Crocodiles. • Migration – GNP is part of the second largest migration of ungulates in Africa. Large herds of white eared kob migrate between GNP and Boma National Park in South Sudan. • Plan for development – GNP enjoys strong interest for its many unusual features – transboundary kob migration, other large mammal species, wetlands and birds – yet it is currently undeveloped for tourism. Furthermore, according to the "proposed" boundary, it only has 5 km of public road running through it. There is no other infrastructure whatsoever. GNP has donor support and a development programme that includes roads, airstrips, HQ, and an eco-lodge. Paired with this infrastructure, the aim is to develop tourism trails (road, walking, boat and possible horseback), maps and information, and to provide guide training etc. A healthy tourism sector at Gambela NP is needed to support a community programme which will be vital to the long-term welfare of the migratory ecosystem.

4. 5-Year Programme of Tourism Product Development

4.1 Year 1 – Development Plans for Flagship Parks Wardens and wildlife/tourism experts from all six flagship parks should attend the Year-1 Training Workshop (Section 9.2) and prepare 1-Year Tourism Development Plans for their own protected areas. They should implement these plans over the ensuing 6-month period. The improved tourism products in the flagship parks will be promoted and marketed alongside the Southern and South Eastern Wildlife Circuits at the end of year one and beginning of year two (Table 8). During year one, a senior expert in wildlife tourism should be assigned to work with EWCA, Regional Authorities, park wardens and wildlife/tourism experts, private investors, donors and other stakeholders to prepare 5-year development plans for each of the six flagship parks. The 5-Year Tourism Development Plans will build upon the

77 Marketing Strategy for Wildlife Tourism in Ethiopia one-year development plans but will explore more ambitious products that are likely to have a major impact on tourism growth. These may include: Comment [y3]: Set up Sign posts to point out the tourism products and the direction of PAs • Amplify natural, historical and cultural tourist packages Comment [y4]: In the Protected Areas

• Construction or upgrading of a tourism lodge; Comment [y5]: Arrange Clean toilet and • Development of a luxury campsite; Shower • Development of community-based lodge or other community-based tourism service; Comment [y6]: Community Shopping centre / Souvenir • Expansion and upgrading of road network including bridges; • Construction of waterhole or pan for game viewing (fed by a pipeline or with pumped underground water); • Opening up of new activities – such as:

o boat-based tourism on rivers and lakes, o walkways over marshes and wetlands, o signed and interpreted forest walks, o wildlife viewing platforms/hides, o nocturnal wildlife viewing (with lighting equipment), o horse-trekking, o information centres, Comment [y7]: Set up Information materials o community-based tourism,

4.2 Year 1 – ‘Fam Trip’ for Potential Partners In the latter part of year 1, potential development partners from the private sector will be invited to visit the parks and prepare joint development proposals with EWCA and the Regional Authorities. This is a critical phase in the Wildlife Tourism Marketing Strategy. In the case of a lodge or luxury camp development, the private investors will be shown the improved park management and tourism services, the wildlife circuits that incorporate the park, the expanding wildlife tourism market in Ethiopia, and the unique opportunity for investment being offered by EWCA and the Regional Authority. At the appropriate stage, development agreements (including lodge- management agreements) will be drawn up between Government and Investor 7. ESTDP has a budget for ‘Fam Trips’ for tour operators and potential investors in Ethiopia. The Consultants understand that this is time-limited. It is recommended that EWCA enter into early discussions with ESTDP to secure some funding assistance towards the end of year 1. Note that the main tourism launch will take place at a later stage - once the flagship parks are fully developed and the five new wildlife circuits have been tested. A second round of ‘Fam Trips’ is scheduled for year 4.

7 Prior to finalising development plans for permanent constructions in a park or sanctuary, EWCA should re-visit its policy on park development to ensure that its plans comply with policy and will not cause significant damage to the nation’s protected areas (see Section 9.3.2). A similar review and revision should be undertaken by Regional Authorities.

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4.3 Years 2-4 – Implementation of Tourism Developments Construction of new tourism products in the six flagship parks will take place in years 2 to 4 and be closely monitored by EWCA. Emphasis will be place on producing state-of-the-art tourism products that rival the best that Africa has on offer. Preparation of marketing materials that includes descriptions of the new accommodation and tourist attractions will proceed on a case by case basis and in conjunction with promotions being prepared by the tourism partners (see Sections 6.1, 6.2 and 7.4).

4.4 Years 2-5 – Marketing and Image Enhancement Marketing of the enhanced tourism products and wildlife circuits will follow the plans and steps detailed in Chapter 7 and outlined in Table 8, in the following phases: • Branding of wildlife tourism (Year 2) (Section 7.3); • Development and publication of high quality information materials (Years 2- 4) (Section 7.4); • Development of wildlife tourism web portal with integrated social media (Years 2-4) (Section 7.4); • Advertising campaign in selected international magazines and newspaper travel supplements; trailer video for Ethiopian Airlines and Tourism Trade Fairs (Years 4 & 5) (Section 7.5); • Marketing launch – for outbound tour operators targeting markets with high penetration and G8 countries (Year 4) (Section 7.5.1); • ‘Fam Trip’ for selected outbound tour operators (Year 4) (Section 7.5.4); • Presentations at International Tourism Trade Fairs (Years 2-5).

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ANNEXES

1 Terms of Reference 2 List of Persons Consulted 3 Itinerary of Field Missions 4 Tour operators in Ethiopia 5 Assessment of Chebera Churchura National Park 6 Assessment of Loka Abaya National Park

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Annex 1 Terms of Reference

Leistungsbeschreibung Development of a Marketing Strategy for Wildlife Tourism in Ethiopia I. Background

Tourism is the largest and most rapidly growing industry worldwide. This “smokeless” industry has become one of the major economic activitiesand export earners that have created millions of jobs and incomes globally. For some countries it is their major economic activity. For example tourism is the second priority in Kenya’s economic agenda and it is also the major source of foreign currency. Based on past average annual growth rates of 4.1 percent of arrivals and 1.8 percent of receipts, the World Tourism Organization has projected that by the Year 2020 international arrivals would reach 1.6 billion and receipts would amount to 2 trillion U.S dollars worldwide. Though their share is still very small, developing countries are increasingly benefitting from this industry. With its variety of tourist attractions, Ethiopia has a high potential of attracting tourists with various interests: the high land and low land fauna and flora, the historical places including pre-historicartifacts, archeological sites, unique landscapes and a high cultural variety. The Ethiopian wildlife parks and sanctuaries are found in a variety of magnificent unique landscapesendowed with high endemism. They are distributed all over the country in extremely different geographic zones; from afro alpine mountain peaks in Simien and Bale to semi-desert lowland areas like Kafta&Omo national parks. They are home to most of the 6000 recorded species of vascular plants of which 10 percent are endemic, 320 species of mammals of which 36 are endemic, 860 species of birds of which 18 are endemic, 240 species of reptiles of which 15 are endemic, and 71 species of amphibians of which 30 are endemic. However, especially the protected areas of Ethiopia have low number of tourists compared to other similar destinations in Africa for various reasons. The GEF financed SDPASE project is enhancing management in protected areas and wildlife tourism. One of the activities in this regard is the development of a tourism marketing strategy. The marketing strategic plan is designed to help fulfilling EWCA’s vision, “to be one of the five big tourist destinations in Africa”.

II. Objective of the Consultancy:

The overall objective of this study is to assess and develop marketing strategy for positioning Ethiopian protected areas in the world market as one of the prime destinations for eco-tourism. THE SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES ARE: 1. Develop a strategy to enhance quality of tourism products and services 2. Suggest mechanisms to lengthen tourist stay in protected areas 3. Identify how and which media are appropriate to promote Ethiopian protected area products in the target markets

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4. Identify and recommend appropriate marketing and promotional strategies for protected area resources. 5. Develop a strategy for positioning Ethiopian protected areas in the world market as one of the prime destinations for eco-tourism.

III. SCOPE OF THE STUDY

Under the overall guidance and supervision of EWCA, the consultant is expected to develop Specific components of the Marketing strategy:

1. Market survey for tourist trends: identify the tourist flow trends to identify existing and potential markets (local, national, and international). 2. Assess factors that affect this flow. 3. Length of stay: Find out the length of stay of tourists within the Protected Areas and identify mechanisms to elongate it. 4. Conduct assessment of conditions needed to increase tourism flow. 5. Conduct tourist audit data: an audit of products and services within and around the Protected Areas which includes accommodation, transport and tours and products of each Protected Area. 6. Conduct SWOT analysis: analyzing the strength, weakness, opportunity and threat of the sector. 7. Identify the tourist asset/s or product/s in each protected area and the Protected Area system that can be used for positioning. 8. Conduct customer profiles, segment the local as well as the international markets and identify the target markets. 9. Assess the willingness to pay for entry and other components of the package. 10. Develop marketing action plan: based on the outputs design an indicative marketing action plan. 11. Design a marketing strategy: a. To promote products of the Protected Areas appropriate timing and media. b. To increase quality of products and services. c. To involve all stakeholders and coordinate efforts. d. Integrate with other tourism activities; cultural, nature based, conferences etc. e. Design of a communication strategy for marketing protected Area resources. IV. Team The study team will consist of an international expert and a local expert. The international expert will be overall responsible for the fulfilment of the above TOR. The local expert will assist the international expert in all tasks, in particular he/she will facilitate liaison and provide local expertise. He/she will be contracted locally by GIZ-IS Ethiopia.

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V. EXPECTED DELIVERABLES:

The expected deliverables of the marketing strategy will be: 1. Five years marketing strategic plan 2. Model yearly marketing action plan

VI. Reporting arrangements:

The consultant will submit a draft report for comments to both by EWCA and the UNDP country office by the 16 th of December 2012, and a draft final report the 5 th of January, 2013. • The consultant will work closely with the EWCA and UNDP, CCV & DRM Unit. • Once the draft report is produced, the document will be shared with relevant stakeholders for comments.

The report will be prepared and submitted in MS Word 2007, with tables in Excel where necessary. A PowerPoint Presentation of the main findings will be included.

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Annex 2. List of Persons Consulted

No Name Organization Position 1 Ato Ewentu Bilata EWCA Director General (DG) 2 Lakew Birhanu SDPASE National Programme Coordinator 3 Dr. Ludwig Siege SDPASE Chief Technical Advisor 4 Dr.Karen Laurenson EWCA Technical Advisor 5 Abdi Tena SNNP - Culture and Tourism office process owner 6 Mezemer Girma SNNP - Culture Tourism office SNNP Tourism attraction officer 7 Alehign Taye Maze National park Warden 8 Ehet Bekele Maze National Park park development expert 9 Aschalew Adunga Maze National Park park development expert 10 Wendifraw Nega Swayne’s Hartebeest Sanctuary Warden 11 Mamo Mela South O mo C ulture & Tourism O ffice Tourism and parks coordinator 12 Dagnachew Gemiso Mago N ational park fee collector and scout 13 Messay Genene Mago National Park wildlife expert 14 Demlash Deleign e Mago National park Game Ranger 15 Kassa Mengesha Mago National park Head –Game Ranger 16 Niguisse Wata Yabello Sanctuary warden 17 Thadaigh Baggallay FZS -BMCP Project leader 18 Dr - Anouska kinhan FZS -BMCP Research Advisor 19 Addisu Tsegaye Bale M ountains National park BMNP - sociologist 20 Jafer Mohammed Nyala Guides Association Chair person 21 Hadji Kemal Rira elders 22 Anna Dies Medir Tour General Manager 23 Assefa Azene Kibran Tour General Manager 24 Ammanuel Medir Tour Travel specialist 25 Addisu Engida Green land Tour guide and operator 26 Gebre meskel Ambaw Chebera -Churchra National park wildlife expert 27 Bekele Beshaw Chebera Churchra National park Head scout 28 Gezaghn Terfe Loka -Abaya National park wildlife expert 29 Toloma Gabisa Loka –Abaya National park ex -wildlife expert 30 Gregori Aregash Lodge (Yirgalem ) General Manager 31 Gegenaw Mesfin Loka Abaya Head Scout 32 Abdurhman Kubsa ESTDP Consultant 33 Bejamin Carey ESTDP Consultant 34 John Henderson Todd ESTDP Consultant 35 Daniel Wiersbowsky private Consultant Branding specialist 36 leykun Abune ESTA biodiversity specialist 37 Mekonen G/Egziabher ESTA Ecotourism Specialist 38 Taddese Hailu EWNHS conservation officer 39 Bedilu Shegen ESTA chief of party 40 Daniel Adem ESTA –Central rift valley Coordinator 41 Freddy Hess Hess travel and Kanta Lodge General manager 42 Mengesha Zewde Bega Tours Tourism advisor 43 Niguisse Toyo Nurgi Birding General Manager 44 Sanne van Aarst Horn of Africa Coordinator 45 Alain Sancerni Cultural Heritage Specialist Consultant

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Annex 3. Itinerary of Field Missions

Assessment of Southern and South-Eastern Wildlife Circuits by Martyn Murray and Binyam Admassu

I. Itinerary of First Field Mission to Southern Parks

28 Nov 2012 – Drive Addis to Awassa – en-route visited Sankelle Swayne’s Hartebeest Sanctuary- meet SNNPR Hotel and Parks Authority- Overnight (O/N) Awassa 29 Nov 2012 - Drive from Awassa to Maze National Park. Assess the existing and potential tourism products with the park experts . O/N Camping in Maze NP 30 Nov 2012 - Drive from Maze to Mago National Park. O/N Hotel in Jinka 1 Dec 2012 - Assess existing and potential tourism products in and around the park with the park experts. O/N Camping in Mago NP 2 Dec 2012 - Drive from Mago to Konso. O/N Konso 3 Dec 2012 - Drive from Konso to Awassa, en-route visiting Yabello National Park with the park experts, O/N Awassa 4 Dec 2012 - Drive from Awassa to Bale Mountains National Park, en route assess Wabe Waterfall as Viewpoint/rest area for South-Eastern Wildlife Circuit. O/N Goba hotel 5 Dec 2012 - Further exploration of Bale Mountains NP with the park experts and members from the Nyala Guides Association. 6 Dec 2012- Drive back to Addis.

II. Itinerary of Second Field Mission to New Parks

3 Jan 2013- Depart Addis Ababa, drive to Jima. O/N Jima 4 Jan 2013 - Drive From Jima to Ameya, Meet warden and scouts of Chebera Churchura National Park (CCNP). Visit tourism sites in CCNP. O/N camping 5 Jan 2013 - Further meeting with CCNP staff. Drive to Sodo Via Tercha. O/N Sodo hotel. 6 Jan 2013 - Drive to Yirgalem. meeting with owner of Aregesh Lodge. Drive to Loka Abaya National Park (LANP). Meet with warden and staff. Assess tourism sites. Assess camping sites. O/N Camping in Loka Abaya NP

7 Jan 2013 - Further meeting with LANP staff. Drive to Addis Ababa.

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Annex 4. Tour operators in Ethiopia

The inbound tour operator sector only re-established in Ethiopia some 10 years ago, but has grown significantly since that time. There are presently over 200 tour operators and travel agents registered with the government, of these approximately 30 handle the majority of the international tourism market. Five of the tour operators are bid specialists; the others focus on domestic travel markets and general tourism.

1. MEDIR TOURS 2. IMAGE ETHIOPIA 3. HORIZON ETHIOPIA TOURS AND TRAVEL 4. EXPERIENCE ETHIOPIA TOUR AND TRAVEL 5. ETHIO-DER TOUR AND TRAVEL 6. ABBA TRAVEL 7. ROCKY VALLEY SAFARIS 8. TIMELESS ETHIOPIA TOURS 9. KIBRAN TOURS 10. TRAVEL ETHIOPIA 11. NATIONAL TOUR OPERATION (NTO) 12. ADONAY ETHIOPIA TOURS 13. HADAR TOURS 14. RED JACKAL TOURS 15. ABYSSINIA TOURS 16. JACARANDA TOURS 17. ADIKA TOURS AND TRAVEL 18. MELKAM TOURS 19. ETHIOPIAN RIFT VALLEY SAFARIS 20. GREEN LAND TOURS 21. DISCOVER ABYSINIA TOURS 22. GHION TOURS & TRAVEL 23. CARAVAN TOURS 24. DESRE TOURS 25. ABEBA TOURS 26. BEGA TOURS 27. ETHIO-GUZO TOUR & TRAVEL 28. PARADISE ETHIOPIA TOUR AND TRAVEL 29. LAKE TANA AND TRAVEL 30. GRANT EXPRESS TOUR & TRAVEL 31. DINKNESH ETHIOPIA TOUR 32. YUMO TOURS

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Specialist bird-watching tour companies:

1. NURGI BIRDING ETHIOPIA 2. SOLOMON BERHE TOURS 3. ETHIOPIAN QUADRANTS 4. ETHIOPIAN WILD WINGS TOUR

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Annex 5. Assessment of Chebera Churchura National Park

Report Prepared by Martyn Murray and Biniyam Admassu 10 January 2013

1. Description Chebera Churchura National Park was established in 2005 by the SNNPR and enjoys both intact populations of large mammals and good relations with the local communities. It is located about 460 km south west of Addis Ababa or 330 km from Hawassa. It covers an estimated area of 1215 km 2. The reserve extends from 60 39' N to 70 09’ N and from 360 32’ E to 370 00’ E. It is found within the western side of the central Omo Gibe basin, where the Omo River forms its southern boundary. On the south-eastern and eastern boundaries are the Esera and Tocha Woredas, respectively. To the, west, northwest, and north (and with a small area in the northeast) the area is bounded by the Konta Special Woreda of the SNNPR.

1.1 Topography and rainfall The general pattern of topographic features of the study area is one of rolling to steep hills between which lie relatively narrow flat to undulating bottom lands which act as collecting sites for run-off water from the nearby uplands. Altitude ranges from 700 to 2600 m a.s.l. The total amount of annual rainfall in the area varies between 2000 and 3500 mm with a mean annual rainfall of 2154 mm. However, the southern part of the study area has lower annual rainfall between 1000 mm and 1600 mm. The main rivers inside the park are the Zigina, Shoshuma and Ajicola with the Oma River along the southern border. The area has five lakes (Chefore, Bahe, Shita, Koka and Keribelaa) four of which are crater lakes (Shita, Keribelaa, Bahe and Koka). There are a number of hot and cold springs.

1.2 Vegetation The vegetation of the study area can be categorized into four major habitats, as follows: grassland with scattered trees; woodland of various types; montane forest; and riparian forest. The savanna grassland with scattered trees covers the largest part (62.5 %) of the study area and belongs to the Sudanian-Biome regional center of endemism. It is found north to south within the very undulating to rolling landscape, valley and gorges. The dominant grass species vary locally; elephant grasses (Pennisetum sp.) are common mixed with tussock grass. Most of the grass species belong to the genera Andropogon, Imperata, Hyparrhenia and Themeda. The tree species are predominantly deciduous and no more than 6 meter in height, but in some localities where they occur in large groves they become evergreen species with greater height. Most of the tree species in these fire prone areas have thick and gnarled bark which is fire-resistant. The dominant tree species include broad-leaved Combretum species in association with Terminalia albiza. Fire commonly occurs once a year during the dry

88 Marketing Strategy for Wildlife Tourism in Ethiopia season. This habitat provides both browse and grazing, supporting a wide variety of wild animals in the reserve. Lowland baobabs occur in several lower-lying areas, mostly on sloping land. Mixed woodland occurs in the northern uplands next to drainage lines and at the break between the highland and lowland habitats. Combretum woodland (dominated by Combretum and Terminalia species) occurs below 1100 m a.s.l. It is also common in low-lying valley areas. It is a classic woodland habitat with an even distribution of trees, uniform canopy, almost no understory of bushes or shrubs, but typically with a well-developed grass cover. Riparian woodland is found along many of the drainages in the lower and southern parts of the area near to the Omo confluence. It is typically dominated by tall Acacia trees ( Acacia polychanta ). Montane forest has a crown cover of 50% and is multi-storied. The floristic composition is commonly rich with climbers and saprophyte. This type of forest occurs in the eastern part of the park and in patches in the north-western highlands. Most of this area is dominated by Juniperus, Podocarpus and broad-leaved tree species. Tall riparian forest occurs along the main rivers inside the park (Zigina, Shoshuma and Ajicola) and along the Omo River which borders the park to the south. It also occurs at springs and along perennial water courses. Large figs, palms trees and epiphytes make this a particularly attractive habitat.

1.3 Fauna The area has special significance for large mammals. Four of the ‘big five’ species occur – elephant, buffalo, lion and leopard. In addition there are zebra, giant forest hog (to be confirmed), warthog, bush pig, waterbuck, greater kudu and bushbuck. Hippopotamus and crocodile occur in Lake Chefore. Lion are thought to occur in the park but their status is not known. Leopard are reported to be present as are wild cat and serval cat. Black and white Colobus monkeys and baboons are common. So far 37 larger mammals have been reported. The lakes provide habitat for many wetland bird species.

Zebra Migration? Zebra enter the park in the south during June. They may migrate to Chebera Churchura NP from Omo NP or Wilshet-Sala Controlled Hunting Area. If this report is confirmed, it would add considerable conservation significance to the park. At present the only other large-mammal long-distance migration documented in Ethiopia is the white-eared kob migration at Gambela NP.

2. Conservation

2.1 General status By comparison to other Rift Valley parks, Chebora Churchura NP is unusual in having retained most of its large mammals. Elephant numbers are estimated by direct count to be approximately 300 divided more or less equally between Meka and Boka forests. Several herds of buffalo occur. Otherwise there is no information on numbers or trends of large mammals.

2.2 Extirpated species

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Black rhino used to occur in the park but are no longer found. Giraffe are not found in the park: it is not certain whether they occurred in the past.

2.3 Pressures on the park Farming and pastoralism are the main forms of land-use around the park. Three villages occur within the park in its south-western region where there is conflict with elephants over crops. In addition a local community in the north makes extensive use of Keribelaa Lake. However in much of the park, human pressure is slight. Until recently, poaching has not been a major threat.

According to the park management and community members, poaching elephant was not known in the past. However two female elephants were killed last year within a two month period. It is suspected that the poachers were local people that had been commissioned and armed by outsiders. This is the only incidence of poaching that has been recorded since the establishment of the park

Another issue concerning elephant ivory which may be related to the poaching has created resentment among community members and the park management. During the period of the Derg regime, the park was utilised as a hunting concession area. Ivory which could not be exported was held and stored at the Ameya police station where it has remained for four decades. Unfortunately last year it was discovered that 28 out of 48 elephant tusks were no longer in the store and that there was no official explanation forthcoming. The police commander is apparently under investigation at present. However this incident has created a grievance amongst community members who suspect that the perpetrator despite having broken the law may not be brought to justice. It is not only the disappearance of the ivory but the involvement of the district police in such an incident which has fuelled a sense of injustice. The park management fear that unless this incident is brought to a speedy and just outcome, it may provoke further outbreaks of poaching.

3. Management

3.1 Risks and threats A major threat at present is for an increase in elephant poaching as a result of the grievance expressed by communities over the ivory loss described above. This is compounded by poor access to the south of the park where the poaching took place. Other threats include increased use of the park for grazing by cattle. There is the possibility of further encroachment for farming if the boundaries are not clearly demarcated and protected.

Uncontrolled fires occur in January, probably to improve access by villagers for honey and forest products and to create better quality grazing for cattle.

The size of the lion population is not known but it may be small and requires further investigation.

The park authority has only one vehicle which is not is service. They require an increased budget to support proper management activities. They would also benefit from practical training in park management and tourism.

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3.2 Opportunities for improving conservation status It is vital that the case against the Police Commander responsible for protecting ivory be prosecuted swiftly so that the community regains its trust for the park and police authorities. Without this action, there is a risk of a strong escalation in elephant poaching.

One important management action to be taken at present is to enlarge the network of tracks for vehicles. If possible a track should be established linking the park headquarters with Lake Chefore. At present the lake is protected by a sub-headquarter at Sudimu but contact between the two park stations is limited. Improved access to the south of the park is also needed. The park’s one vehicle should be maintained and the park budget increased to the same standard as for longer-established parks.

The human elephant conflict in the three south-western villages (Serri, Shewa-Kela and Cheta-Ouma) should be addressed. There are a variety of chilli-based techniques which would involve the cultivation of chilli peppers by local villagers. As a crop, chillies are ignored by elephants providing villagers with a harvest that can be relied upon. They can be planted around the perimeter of fields, with grains next, and with vegetables and melons at the centre. This provides more time for deterrence when elephants raid crops. They can also be used in various elephant deterrence techniques including production of chilli smoke and chilli-coated ropes. If the scale of the problem is large and funds can be found, solar-powered electric fences maintained by villages have proved to be highly effective in Kenya.

There is considerable scope for developing and promoting tourism facilities in the park which should be linked with community conservation (see below).

4. Tourism

4.1 Tourism status Chebera Churchura is a new park. In the past year, some 29 visitors have camped at the hot spring.

4.2 Access by visitors From Jima, the drive to Ameya takes approximately 4 hours at a comfortable speed and from there it takes an additional 45 minutes to reach the headquarters of Chebera Churchura National Park at the park entrance. The road from Ameya to the park is rough but generally in fair condition. Currently it is not usable in the rainy season.

4.3 General attractions The park has great potential in attracting visitors who can enjoy a rare combination of large mammals, the wide variety of bird species, lakes, waterfalls, mountains and forests. A particular attraction is the opportunity to view buffalo and elephants at the hot spring near the park headquarters. As it is not easy to view large mammals in forest habitat, this attraction is of unique importance to the park. The riparian-palm forest and lakes are also particularly attractive.

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4.2 Existing tourism products The main existing tourism products are as follows: o the camp at the hot spring, o short vehicle track to the nearby riparian-palm forest at Meka o foot path to the waterfall o foot path to Lake Chefore to view hippo, crocodiles and waterbuck.

4.3 New tourism products Tourism products that could be developed with current resources include a new camp on the Shoshuma river, improvement of the hot spring as a site for viewing elephants and buffalo, and a survey of tracks that could be developed for use by vehicles. A foot path through part of the Meka forest should be established. This may require construction of small bridges over the muddy stream bed.

4.4 How to improve tourism products with current resources The most important activity for improving tourism status using current resources will be to improve management of the hot spring near the park headquarters. At present this is used by villagers for watering cattle and as a result buffalo and elephants only use it at night. The villagers can water their cattle outside the park, for example further up the Shoshuma River, however they value the mineral content of the water at the hot spring for their cattle. They also use the spring water as a medicine for people. Probably the most effective management solution will be to locate another hot spring at a nearby location outside of the park. The wildlife expert (G/meskel Ambau) suggested that there were suitable hot springs in the nearby hills which could be developed for use by cattle and people. Existing springs should be surveyed for mineral content and overall suitability with the participation of local villagers. Some additional resources will then be required for development of the site. As part of the new spring development, an agreement should be reached with the local villages to keep their cattle outside of the park. This will immediately improve the wildlife potential of the hot spring. The track which currently crosses just below the spring should also be diverted to further minimize disturbance. Once these actions are achieved, the park will be able to develop and promote a unique attraction - an undisturbed hot spring for large mammals that provides superb viewing conditions. The existing camp can be developed as a large mammal observation point. For this purpose, one or two wooden hides can be constructed above and to the east of the spring using local materials. The hides can be booked in advance for afternoon/evening viewing of buffalo and elephant and also for nocturnal viewing during the full moon. It is recommended that the current main camp be shifted from the hot spring by a short distance along the track towards park headquarters to a grove of giant fig trees that stand next to the Shoshuma River (where the track crosses the river). This site provides excellent shade, a tranquil setting next the river and a large flat area that is ideal for pitching tents and recreation. The river floods in the rainy season so it would be suitable as a dry season camp only.

4.5 Tourism developments with additional support As mentioned above, some additional support will be required for developing a hot spring outside of the park as an alternative to the present hot spring which is attracting

92 Marketing Strategy for Wildlife Tourism in Ethiopia buffalo and elephant from the forest. External upport will also be required to significantly expand the network of vehicle tracks to improve access to attractions for visitors and access by the park authority to other regions of the park. As these developments take place, new information materials will need to be prepared and marketed to tour operators.

5. Conclusions Chebera Churchura National Park is a unique protected area in Ethiopia for its combination of evergreen forests, woodlands, savannas, large mammals, endemic birds, and for the lakes and rivers which feed the Omo River. From the tourism point of view, the ‘wild wetlands of Chebera Churchura’ offer a forest refuge to birds, butterflies and buffaloes that are not replicated in any other park. Its potential status as a summer monsoon range in a zebra migration linked to and from Omo NP/ Wilshet- Sala Controlled Hunting Area needs urgent investigation. Taken together, these attributes give Chebera Churchura national significance in Ethiopia’s network of protected areas which deserve recognition and support from the wider conservation community.

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Annex 6. Assessment of Loka Abaya National Park

Report Prepared by Martyn Murray and Biniyam Admassu 10 January 2013

1. Description Loka Abaya National Park was established in 2009 by the SNNPR. It is located on the north-eastern side of Lake Abaya about 50 km southwest of Awassa. It covers an estimated area of 500 km 2.

1.1 Topography and rainfall The general pattern of topographic features is rolling basaltic hills sloping downwards to Lake Abaya. The hills and highland plains are relatively infertile with low ground cover and with sheet and gully erosion in places. The park is surrounded by rivers: the Bilate River rises on the south-western slopes of Mount Gurage (the highest point in the SNNPR) flowing south along the western side of the park before opening into a wide delta at Lake Abaya. A small section of the lake lies within the national park.

1.2 Vegetation The vegetation of the study area can be categorized into three major habitats: grassland with scattered trees (Combretum and Terminalia), woodland and riparian forest.

1.3 Fauna The thickets and bushes provide suitable habitat for browsing ungulates which include greater kudu, lesser kudu and common bushbuck. Reedbuck and waterbuck are found near to rivers and Lake Abaya. Grant’s gazelle is reported to be present. Predators include African hunting dog (two small packs have been reported), lion, leopard, hyaena and common jackal. The lake and rivers provide habitat for many wetland bird species.

2. Conservation 2.1 General status Until recently, Loka Abaya National Park was used by cattle herders in the summer and this may account for some of the eroded soils conditions. Our preliminary observations suggest that large mammal populations in the hill country are low.

2.2 Extirpated species The area would appear to provide good habitat for black rhino however we were not able to establish their past presence.

2.3 Pressures on the Park

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Farming inside the park on the western side is a major problem. Cattle grazing in the summer remains a significant problem.

3. Management 3.1 Risks and threats Opinions differed amongst the park staff that we spoke to, however it appears that community-park relations are strained. The community living in the southern village by the Bilate River claimed that they were not sufficiently consulted or recompensed for loss of their historical grazing areas. Without improved support from the local communities, there is little chance of successful conservation of the area.

The staff of the park comprises a warden, a wildlife expert, a tourism and promotion expert and 29 permanent scouts. The park has no car and only one motorbike. There is no local freshwater supply. Moral appears to be low and management relatively ineffective.

One of the biggest threats to the park is that its most attractive features are hidden. Tourism products have yet to be identified and developed.

3.2 Opportunities for improving conservation status The most important challenge for the park authority is to improve relations with the local community. This may require re-opening the issue of summer grazing.

One opportunity for tourism development may come from the interest in the park by the owner of Aregash Lodge in the nearby town, Yirga Alem. The owner has built a highly attractive and successful tourism lodge using local architecture and is a supporter of wildlife conservation. He may be able to provide certain kinds of help to assist the local community and park authority in finding solutions that are beneficial to both wildlife conservation and people.

The owner of Aragesh lodge hosted a visit by a South African conservationist who was impressed by the potential of Loka Abaya as a protected sanctuary for Black Rhinoceros. If relations with the local communities were improved along with overall security, and if the necessary funds were forthcoming, this would greatly enhance the conservation status of the park.

The park has a good road that links the southern village by the Bilate River with Yirba town. The road greatly improves access by the park authority to the park but on the other hand it also provides access to illegal users of the park’s resources.

Strong leadership will be required from the park warden to improve relations with neighbouring communities and to provide effective patrolling by scouts. A vehicle will be invaluable in both tasks.

4. Tourism 4.1 Tourism status Loka Abaya is a new park. It has had virtually no visitors so far.

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4.2 Access by visitors From Awassa, the drive to Loka Abaya takes approximately 2 hours. Similarly the drive from Aregash lodge in Yirga Alem takes approximately 2 hours at a comfortable speed. The all-weather gravel road is rough in places but generally in fair condition.

4.3 General attractions At present the main attractions of the park are the views to Lake Abaya and the riverine forests. The latter are not easily accessible and we were unable to make a proper assessment. There is no visitor camp at present except a temporary camp at the park headquarters which is relatively unattractive. The Bilate River offers pleasant surroundings with good opportunities for bird watching. It may offer an attractive location for a camp provided good relations are established with the nearby village.

The park also has gained a reputation for its population of African hunting dogs. However, our enquiries suggest that two packs occur comprising 7 and 6 individuals only. These are not easy to find or view.

4.2 Existing tourism products The main existing tourism products are as follows: • Views of Lake Abaya, • Lake Abaya itself (a small portion of which falls within the park) • Riverine forest (not easily accessible at present)

4.3 New tourism products Tourism products that could be developed with current resources include an attractive camp on the Bilate River and possibly another next to an area of riverine forest. Both will need to offer shade and pleasant surroundings and be made accessible by vehicle. A hiking path that climbed one of the hills to provide views over the park and lake could be developed.

4.4 How to improve tourism products The most important activity for improving tourism status will be to extend the network of tracks to incorporate at least one wilderness camp (see section 4.3). Other potential campsites at Lake Abaya or one of the patches of riverine forest should be explored. Greater emphasis on community relations is required to improve visitor experience and security.

4.5 Tourism developments with additional support As the park is new it will require additional support from the regional government in order to establish the network of tracks recommended and the two camps. In addition, the possibility of establishing a black rhinoceros sanctuary in the future should be investigated. This will be contingent on raising the management status of the park to a much higher level than is customary in Ethiopia to comply with the strict IUCN protection requirements. In time, it could provide a powerful tourism attraction as well as a statement by government of its commitment to wildlife.

5. Conclusions

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Loka Abaya National Park is currently underdeveloped from the point of view of both management and tourism. Its greatest attractions are the views to Lake Abaya, the Bilate River and the patches of riverine forest. The park has a good road bisecting it but needs to establish game-viewing tracks into currently inaccessible areas. One of these should take visitors to the main wilderness camp. In some respects Loka Abaya resembles Tsavo National Park in Kenya. They share the same dry thickets, sparse grasslands and patches of riverine forest. Tsavo is famous for its elephant populations which attract thousands of visitors each year. Without them it would be relatively unknown. Loka Abaya requires a similar attraction if it is to feature in the future as an important tourism destination in Ethiopia. The establishment of a rhino sanctuary would not only be a great conservation achievement for Ethiopia (as the species is effectively extinct in the country) but would provide just such a draw for tourists.

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