GA ISIG Study Tour 2013 () 6. Ethiopia as a Tourist Destination

Summary Curriculum Links – A level Tourism is one of the largest and most rapidly growing industries in the The impact of development world. Globally, International tourist arrivals have increased from 25 Links between tourism and politics million in 1950 to 278 million in 1980, 674 million in 2000, and 1186 Cultural erosion million in 2015. These figures demonstrate the sector’s strength and Ethical concerns resilience. Likewise, international tourism receipts earned by Managing cultural and demographic destinations worldwide have surged from US$ 2 billion in 1950 to US$ issues 104 billion in 1980, US$ 495 billion in 2000, and US$ 1260 billion in 2015. As an economic sector, however, it is also very sensitive to risks, both Key Words actual and perceived. France, the United States, Spain and China continued to top the rankings in both international arrivals and receipts. World Heritage Sites Africa was the only region to record a decline in numbers (-3%), mostly Pro-poor tourism due to the weak results in North Africa. The projections for Africa are Community based tourism positive at 2%, although there is a large degree of uncertainty and Ecotourism variability in the data.

Ethiopia boasts nine UNESCO World Heritage sites, an archaeological history that dates back to Lucy and the first humans and some of the Questions to consider finest national parks and mountain scenery of anywhere in the world. Until recent political events led to change, Ethiopia had been drawing a 1. Carry out a Google search to identify growing number of tourists after years of being associated with famine. Ethiopia’s nine World Heritage sites.

In 2015, the European Council on Tourism and Trade named Ethiopia the 2. What factors other than political world’s best tourist destination, and in November 2016, Lonely Planet unrest might lead to a downturn in ranked the country among the best to visit in 2017. In 2016, Ethiopia was Ethiopia’s tourist numbers and receipts? set to surpass a million tourists for the first time. Fewer than 200,000 people visited in 2004. However, the uncertainty and volatility 3. What opportunities does tourism mentioned above have been demonstrated by recent (November 2016) provide for the reduction of poverty in warnings by the UK and US against travel to the country. This follows countries such as Ethiopia? violent anti-government protests across the country that led the Ethiopian government to declare a six-month state of emergency. As a 4. Examine the advantages and result, the flourishing and vital tourism industry will undoubtedly be disadvantages of community-based severely damaged and could take many years to recover. tourism.

1 GA ISIG Study Tour 2013 (Ethiopia)

Figure 1. An Ethiopian woman waits patiently for tourist customers with everything ready for the coffee ceremony [August 2013] ©Szymon Sawicki

Background information provided by Study Tour participant Ian Dixon

1 million? Tourism in Ethiopia Ethiopia has a diverse tourism portfolio. It has natural attractions that include some of the highest and lowest places in Africa along with a wide variety of wild life including several endemic species such as Walia Ibex, the Semien Fox and the Gelada Baboon. It boasts very old and well preserved historical artefacts and buildings that include stelae, churches and castles. The ceremonies and rituals of the

2016

Figure 2. Ethiopia Tourism arrivals 1994-2016 Source: Index Mundi 2 GA ISIG Study Tour 2013 (Ethiopia)

Ethiopian Orthodox Church open a window on the authentic world of the Old Testament.

Tourism in Ethiopia before the 1980s was low and stagnant, seeing very little growth. Until 1981 numbers remained below 45,000. This can be attributed to the continued upheavals in Eritrea, Tigray and Hararghe regions and the ‘Red Terror’ in major central towns. Though the rate of increase in the 1980s was low, numbers started to grow to above 60,000 in the coming years. As Figure 2 shows, tourism numbers remained below 150,000 until 2002 when they started to increase rapidly, especially after 2006.

Ethiopia is a classic example of how war and famine can adversely affect tourist flows through the bad image created. The very well–publicised 1984 famine and its related negative news spread throughout the world, gave birth to the well-known image of Ethiopia as a famine-wracked country; an image that has been very difficult to dispel.

Tourism in Ethiopia is characterised by relatively short tourist stays but relatively large expenditure. The nature of these visits perhaps, in part, reflects the poor tourist infrastructure that is available. Kenya seems to offer better value for money, competes in a similar sector to Ethiopia and attracts considerably greater numbers of tourists. It is, however, a country severely affected by the changing political situation, with arrivals in 2014 down by a third from the high of 1.75 million recorded in 2011. Ethiopia may well experience a similar fall in numbers if the recent political disturbances and the announcement on October 8th 2016 of a six-month state of emergency by the ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), the first of its kind since the former rebel movement seized power in 1991. The Ethiopian tourism sector faces several key problems that include poor quantity hotels outside the capital , the high costs and unreliability of transport and a poorly trained tourism workforce. A coordinated campaign is needed to market Ethiopia’s tourist attractions as well as better training for those working in the tourism sector. In their 2009 World Bank funded report entitled ‘Enhancing private sector and community engagement in tourism services in Ethiopia’, Mitchell and Coles made a series of recommendations for the industry. Whilst the report deals primarily with what is known as pro-poor tourism, the authors also make a series of recommendations for tourism expansion in Ethiopia in general. These include:

 The government needs to take action to meet its tourist targets and its regulatory role needs strengthening to ensure standards across the country;  The quality of the tourist infrastructure needs improving. The Government needs to work with providers to make the tourist industry more accessible to visitors. Destination facilities need to be improved- refreshments, information, etc.;  The government need to improve its collection of tourism statistics;  Pro-poor tourism strategies need to be implemented. Currently tourist spending on local tour providers is meagre and the poor see little benefit from tourism;  Secondary destinations beyond Addis Ababa need to be developed for the conference industry;  Tribal areas in the south need better management strategies to ensure income is distributed and pro-poor sustainable tourism developed;  Horticultural development is needed in the area for the World Heritage site comprising rock-cut churches. Food is currently brought in at considerable cost from other areas of Ethiopia. This represents a considerable loss for local people;  Links are needed with international tourism schools to help upskill the industry; and,  Employers need to develop schemes to reward and incentivise workers.

3 GA ISIG Study Tour 2013 (Ethiopia)

Pro-poor tourism

It is now generally accepted that there is considerable potential for tourism to accelerate economic growth and reduce poverty. This is particularly the case in a country such as Ethiopia where over 40% of the population lives at or near the national poverty line according to World Bank statistics. Nearly a quarter of all children do not live to see their fifth birthday and 88% of those living in rural areas lack access to safe water. This is where pro-poor tourism can bring about considerable change in the livelihoods of the poor.

Pro-poor tourism is defined as tourism that benefits the poor, irrespective of reductions in income inequality. It involves providing opportunities which enable the poor to engage in, and benefit from, tourism. It is tourism which provides net benefits for the economically poor with the term 'net benefits' being used to reflect the frequent losses of livelihood opportunities associated with tourism, such as loss of agricultural land or access to natural resources in national parks.

Pro-poor tourism has several advantages

 It is generally labour-intensive and can impact on a large number of lives within the labour market;  It has considerable potential linkages, especially with agriculture and fisheries, which can minimise the ‘leakage’ effect; and maximise the local multiplier effect;  It provides opportunities for off-farm diversification, particularly in areas that do not attract other types of development options;  It may create an initial demand for a good or service that can itself develop into a growth sector; and,  Its products can generate a demand for assets such as natural resources and culture, to which the poor often have access.

Community based tourism

A community involves individuals who have collective and decision-making responsibility for activities in a local area, including in some cases enterprise. Community-based tourism is tourism where members of a community, often rural, poor and economically disadvantaged, offer a tourism product. The community earns additional income as service and product providers and a proportion of this income is then used for the benefit of the community as a whole. This form of tourism often provides women with opportunities to earn an income and support themselves. The tourist benefits by experiencing a local environment and is able to celebrate a traditional culture. This model of tourism also makes use of resources that can be sourced locally, especially food, providing further opportunities to the local community. The community members also benefit in that they come to realise that their natural and cultural heritage has value; a value that deserves to be preserved for future generations to enjoy.

Tefsa Tours – an example of Community Based Tourism (CBT)

Tefsa Tours was established in 2010 to promote community based tourism in the Wollo (Lalibela) and Tigray areas of Ethiopia. It works with over 20 communities providing overnight accommodation and guides for trekking holidays in the mountains. Tefsa Tours states in its literature that it sees community tourism as a partnership between business and community. The partnership enables communities to generate sustainable improvements to their livelihoods through the enterprises they develop. Tefsa Tours view Community Based Tourism as tourism that benefits communities. Alongside using local guides, the guesthouses that are used during the treks offered by the company are owned by the community. 55% of the money paid for the treks goes to the local communities. Community members learn to make decisions and run the businesses.

4 GA ISIG Study Tour 2013 (Ethiopia)

Figure 3. Early morning view across the Tigrayan highlands with the Tefsa Tours’ accommodation shown. © Szymon Sawicki

The tours run by Tefsa, for example, offer a range of trekking opportunites. Members of the 2013 Ethiopia study tour took part in one that involved trekking for three days through the Tigraen highlands. During the trek, we had opportunities to interact with local people and to pass through various communities. For example, we observed people at work in the fields and also the treatment of a cow using traditional remedies. An opportunity was also provided to visit some of Tigray’s famous rock-cut churchs, which are very different to those in Lalibela, as they are built into the mountainsides, often making use of existing caves. Being in a small group of only five visitors, we were able to pass through communities causing the minimum of disruption to their lives. Overnight accommodation was provided in lodges, which have space for up to 6 visitors. The lodges are also equipped with a sun-heated shower, eco-toilet and also a roof terrace. The food provided included local dishes with injera and rice. A particular highlight was the breakfasts, which consisted of fresh-made bread served with local honey.

Tefsa Tours is certainly pro-poor. It offers training and is mindful of potential negative social and environmental impacts of tourism. The split in 2010 between the original NGO set up in 1999 by Mark Chapman and the tours and marketing side of the operation led to some controversies, some dissatisfied visitors and could inevitably lead to further problems. Could these problems make this once very sustainable model unsustainable?

Ecotourism

The final aspect of tourism considered here is eco-tourism. Ecotourism can be defined as "responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and involves interpretation and education" (TIES, 2015). Ecotourism has many of the attributes of community based tourism and is based on a set of exclusive principles. These include:

 Minimising physical, social, behavioural, and psychological impacts.  Building environmental and cultural awareness and respect.  Providing positive experiences for both visitors and hosts.  Providing direct financial benefits for conservation.  Generating financial benefits for both local people and private industry.  Delivering memorable interpretative experiences to visitors that help raise sensitivity to host countries' political, environmental, and social climates.  Designing, constructing and operating low-impact facilities.  Recognising the rights and spiritual beliefs of the indigenous people and working in partnership with them to create empowerment.

Conclusion

Ethiopia has considerable potential for developing its tourism industry, but currently lags behind many of its neighbours. Recent developments in terms of infrastructure and increases in room availability may well lead to an increase in visitor numbers and the elusive one million visitor target will be exceeded. The establishment of a Tourism Transformation Council and a Tourism Organisation in 2014 has been tasked with rewriting the negative

5 GA ISIG Study Tour 2013 (Ethiopia) portrayal of the country overseas. The country has more World Heritage sites than any other African country and yet remains only 17th in tourist numbers in Africa and 120th globally. The transformation plan aims to make the country one of the top tourist destinations in Africa. Already visitor numbers are growing by 10% annually and revenue from the sector by 20%. However, the model that the development of tourism in Ethiopia needs to take (eco-tourism, community-based tourism, etc.) needs to be through about carefully if Ethiopia’s cultural heritage and fragile landscapes (see Topic 7 on the Bale Mountains National Park) are to be protected. Of equal concern to the development of tourism in Ethiopia are recent events such as six month state of emergency declared following violent anti-government protests across the country that will hit the tourism industry hard.

References

Economist (2016) Ethiopia cracks down on protest. http://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and- africa/21708685-once-darling-investors-and-development-economists-repressive- ethiopia?zid=309&ah=80dcf288b8561b012f603b9fd9577f0e

Index Mundi http://www.indexmundi.com/facts/ethiopia/international-tourism

Jones, S. (2007) Sustainable Heritage Tourism Planning in Ethiopia: An Assessment Framework. http://research.rem.sfu.ca/theses/JonesStefanie_2012_MRM532.pdf

Magan, M. (2009) Community Tourism, Ethiopia, Irish Times http://irishmedia.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/community- tourism-ethiopia-irish-times.html

Mitchell, J. and Coles, C. (2009) Enhancing private sector and community engagement in tourism services in Ethiopia. Overseas Development Institute http://www.odi.org.uk/sites/odi.org.uk/files/odi-assets/publications-opinion- files/5848.pdf

TESFA Tours. Experience the Real Africa. http://tesfatours.com/

Tesfa – Trekking in Tigray http://www.tesfatours.com/tour/community-trekking-in-tigray/

Tesfa’s responsible tourism policy http://tesfatours.com/about/responsible-policy/

The International Ecotourism Society (IETS) 2015 https://www.ecotourism.org/what-is-ecotourism

UNWTO Tourism Highlights, 2016 Edition http://www.e-unwto.org/doi/book/10.18111/9789284418145

6