-The increase in the number of five-star hotels in Addis Ababa will boost tourist influx due to improved accommodations and quality services, despite remaining works at the national level, according to the Ethiopian Tourism and Hotel Marketing Association (ETHMA).
The Association commended the latest rise in the number of high-standard hotels in the capital for its significance in increasing tourist accommodations, quality services, guest confidence, and revenue, among other benefits.
ETHMA’s President GetahunAlemu told The Ethiopian Herald that hotels’ star ratings would play a paramount role in promoting Ethiopia’s positive image in the tourism sector. In this regard, many countries have been investing in improving the quality of services and in capacity building to enhance conference tourism.
“For instance, Singapore and Dubai are considered centers of international trade and conference due to their established infrastructure, high-standard international hotels, and conference centers,” he added.
Similarly, Germany, particularly Frankfurt and Berlin, hosts grand trade exhibitions and conferences, backed by their standard hotels that take the lion’s share in ensuring the comfort of attendees. Besides, Rwanda is also striving to develop conference tourism by constructing the Kigali Convention Center and high-ranked hotels. Such activities showcase that modern and quality hotels are key to ensuring conference tourism, he stressed.
Getahun further stated that stakeholder integration would play a pivotal role in advancing the Ethiopian tourism sector. Among other responsibilities, preparing quality standards, marketing and promotion, and sharing best practices are expected from ETHMA and other concerned bodies.
By the same token, the Ministry of Tourism (MoT) needs to prepare policies and regulations, conduct monitoring and evaluation, encourage infrastructure development, and the like. In a similar manner, the Culture and Tourism Bureaus need to promote and develop tourism potential, increase tourist safety, and the like, he added.
The President also suggested that hotel owners and investors are expected to invest in quality service and hospitality, and provide training for their employees. Other stakeholders like education and training institutions should also play their part.
He underlined that Ethiopia’s tourism sector has been encountering various challenges such as a lack of infrastructure, service quality limitations, protection of tourism assets, and promotion, among others.
To address this, properly implementing the national tourism strategy, strengthening marketing and promotion, improving infrastructure, enhancing service quality, protecting and developing tourism assets, increasing community involvement, leveraging technology, and increasing the number of flights are crucial, he noted.
Particularly, Getahun advised that easing the visa issuance system should be prioritized to attract more visitors and promote Ethiopia’s tourism potential to the rest of the world.
MoT announced this week that the number of five-star hotels has increased in Addis Ababa, marking a vital step to encourage conference tourism.
