By Andualem Sisay
Ethiopia’s tourism sector gets a loan of 35 million USD this week from the World Bank (WB).

The Bank’s Board of Executive Directors approves the first-ever sustainable tourism development project in Sub-Saharan Africa a US$ 35 million of International Development Association (IDA) Credit to the Government of Ethiopia.

The rehabilitation and enhancement of basic infrastructure in key historic sites, namely Lalibela, Axum and Addis Ababa; visitor services enhancement in selected destinations; and tourism product development are among the major components of this loan.

Currently, Ethiopia’s main tourist destination is the northern historic route which includes the sites of Lalibela and Axum. Addis Ababa, the principal gateway to the rest of the country, is in its own right a major destination and a leading conference venue in sub-Saharan Africa. Several emerging destinations in southern, western and eastern Ethiopia offer a wide range of historic, cultural and natural attractions.

The total number of international tourist arrivals in Ethiopia, although growing (from 148,000 in 2001 to around 303,000 in 2007), is by no means commensurate with the potential of the country's attractions. The proposed project will help reduce some of the constraints so as to improve the living standards of the population.

The project will be implemented by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism over a period of five years.

According to the statement obtained from the web site of the bank, this initiative to develop the sector is guided by the vision that tourism should be sustainably developed and utilized for economic growth, job creation and poverty reduction whilst preserving and enhancing the country’s social, cultural and environmental assets.

The objective of the Sustainable Tourism Development Project for Ethiopia is to enhance the quality and variety of tourism products and services in targeted destinations so as to increase the volume of tourism, foreign exchange earnings, and jobs.

The Ethiopian tourism sector, which accounts for about 15 per cent of foreign currency earnings, represents the third largest export earner and has significant growth potential. Since 2005, the government has given increased attention to the sector and aims to put the country among the top 10 African tourist destinations by the year 2020.

“This requires important investments in the preservation of cultural assets, the development of infrastructure and tourism facilities, skills enhancement, institutional development and community engagement,” reads WB’s statement

Phot_Lalibela church- One of the tourist attraction of Ethiopia