Quality Research Indispensable to Ensuring Tourism Sustainability, Says State Minister

Addis Ababa, May 24/2024 (ENA)  The Ministry of Tourism has emphasized the importance of human resource development and providing quality research for ensuring sustainability of the tourism sector and providing quality service.

The 13th Annual National Research Conference of Tourism Training Institute held today with the theme: “Building a Sustainable Tourism and Hospitality Future”.

Addressing the conference, State Minister of Tourism Sileshi Girma said the tourism sector has been one of the top priorities by the government of Ethiopia along with Mining, Manufacturing, Agriculture and Information Communication Technology.

Currently, the government is enormously investing in the tourism sector and developing new destinations across the country.

 Since  Bole International Airport in the country's capital, is a hub for plenty of flights by transporting millions of passengers to different corners of Africa, Ethiopia is also working on stopover tourism. 

Highlighting the role of tourism for image building and economic benefits among others, the state minister stressed the need for strengthening efforts on ensuring tourism sustainability.

For Sileshi, Human resource development and supporting the sector with pertinent research is instrumental for ensuring sustainability of the tourism sector and providing quality service.

The state minister also noted that the participation of the private sector will play a significant role for the sustainability of the tourism sector and ensuring quality service.

State minister of Labor and Skills Teshale Berecha on his part said that conducting quality research is critical to provide quality training, enhancing service quality and to boost the tourism industry at the national level.

 

He also stressed the pivotal role of enhancing the participation of the private sector in Ethiopia’s tourism industry and bridging the gap among the training and research institutions and the tourism sector.

The research institutions need to work based on the demand of the tourism industry, Teshale pointed out.

Director General of Tourism Training Institute (TTI), Getachew Negash said as conducting study and research is one of the main pillars of its duties,  the institute has been supporting the sector accordingly.

Stating that the research papers discussed today were part of the continued activities of the TTI, he reiterated the commitment of the institute to continue conducting and providing problem solving research for the tourism industry.

Determinants of tourism product development in South East Ethiopia: Marketing perspectives, Community cultural heritage management and protection of selected medieval rock-hewn churches of Lalibela were among the research papers presented at the 13th annual conference of the institute.