Government Designates Tourism as Economic Pillar to Share Global Wealth, Ensure National Interest: Prime Minister Abiy

Addis Ababa, June 30, 2026 (ENA) —The Ethiopian government has designated tourism as one of the country’s core economic pillars to secure a greater share of the rapidly expanding global tourism economy and permanently safeguard national strategic interests, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed stated.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with NBC Ethiopia under the theme “The New Economic Motor,” Prime Minister Abiy outlined the strategic vision behind elevating tourism to one of Ethiopia’s five priority economic sectors.

The Premier described the industry as a powerful catalyst for sustainable growth, employment creation, investment, and national transformation.

The Prime Minister said the government’s overarching ambition is to leave future generations a prosperous, competitive, and dignified Ethiopia.

Achieving that vision, he noted, required extensive research and careful policy deliberations to identify sectors capable of generating both immediate economic returns and long-term structural transformation.

For decades, Ethiopia relied predominantly on agriculture as the backbone of its economy.

While acknowledging agriculture’s continued importance, Prime Minister Abiy said the sector alone has been unable to generate the broad-based industrial growth needed to transform the country’s economic landscape.

He stressed that sustainable national prosperity demands a diversified economic model in which multiple sectors reinforce one another.

 It was within this broader development strategy, he explained, that tourism was identified as a strategic pillar capable of driving growth across the wider economy.

Highlighting the immense scale of the global tourism industry, the Prime Minister noted that it generates approximately 12.6 trillion U.S. dollars annually.

 Countries such as the United States earn around 215 billion dollars, Spain 107 billion dollars, Thailand 95 billion dollars, while Egypt generates nearly 15 billion dollars from tourism each year.

“Ethiopia and Africa must ask what share of this enormous global wealth they are capturing,” PM Abiy said, arguing that attracting a greater portion of international tourism revenue would provide the financial resources needed to strengthen other key sectors of the economy.

He also pointed to the vast number of international travelers visiting leading destinations each year.

France welcomes more than 100 million tourists annually, Mexico nearly 97 million, Malaysia about 40 million, while Morocco attracts nearly 20 million visitors, making it one of Africa’s leading tourism destinations.

According to the Prime Minister, these figures demonstrate tourism’s extraordinary capacity to generate national income, create jobs, and strengthen economic resilience.

Unlike traditional exports, tourism brings consumers directly to the country, allowing visitors to spend on locally produced goods and services without the logistical costs associated with exporting products abroad.

“When tourists come to Ethiopia, they bring not only their spending power but also knowledge, business connections, investment opportunities, and cultural exchange,” the Premier said, emphasizing that tourism creates value across multiple sectors of the economy.

He added that international visitors purchase Ethiopian manufactured products, traditional clothing, handicrafts, local cuisine, and cultural experiences, creating immediate domestic markets for local industries and supporting thousands of small businesses and informal enterprises—from artisans and craft producers to traditional coffee vendors and service providers.

Beyond generating income, tourism also serves as an important gateway for foreign direct investment, the Prime Minister noted.

Many international visitors identify untapped business opportunities during their travels and later return as investors, contributing capital to sectors with significant growth potential.

Tourism revenues also provide critical resources for preserving Ethiopia’s historical heritage, protecting natural ecosystems, developing eco-tourism destinations, and expanding modern public infrastructure, he added.

PM Abiy further emphasized tourism’s role in strengthening national unity and social cohesion.

As Ethiopians travel throughout the country, they gain a deeper appreciation of the nation’s diverse cultures, histories, and traditions, fostering mutual understanding, patriotism, and a stronger sense of shared national identity.

“The government’s decision to make tourism a strategic economic pillar is a deliberate national choice to secure Ethiopia’s rightful place in the global tourism economy, expand economic opportunities for its people, and safeguard the country’s long-term national interests,” the Prime Minister concluded.