The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Ethiopia jointly organized a Regional Workshop on ‘Keys to Success in Quality Product Development in Tourism Destinations’, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (15-17 September 2016). The  workshop was attended by around 200 participants, including delegates from 17 Member States, UNWTO Affiliate Members, local tourism stakeholders and media representatives.

In her opening remarks, Mrs. Elcia Grandcourt, Director of UNWTO's Regional Programme for Africa, shared with the participants the encouraging growth figures in international tourism to the region during the first half of the year.

Addressing participants H.E. Engineer Aisha Mohammed Mussa, Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, acknowledged the good relationship between UNWTO and the Government of Ethiopia. Commenting on the importance of tourism as one of the prime sources of income and employment,  the Minister said “I think countries are by now well aware of this fact and are doing all their best to tap the immense potentials emanating from this sector”. 

In order to gain tangible economic benefits from the tourism sector and to reduce the capacity gaps that exist across the continent, the Minister encouraged more technical workshops to be organized within the region.

In welcoming the participants, ECA's  Deputy Executive Secretary Ms. Giovanie Biha reiterated the timeliness of the workshop to support African Member States as they shift their attention from the traditional productive sectors to other sectors that could speed up their much-needed structural transformation and the tourism sector is emerging as one of these sectors.

She reaffirmed ECA’s continued support to enhancing tourism development in Africa, and in particular the tourism action plan for Africa through strong partnerships with sister organizations UNWTO and the African Union, the regional economic communities and Member States.

Prior to the closing of the workshop Ms. Esencan Terzibasoglu, Director of the UNWTO Destination Management and Quality Programme, shared the conclusions of the two days’ work. The Workshop:

Ø  Provided a global insight into the positioning of African destinations along with the new dynamics and trends in the overall market place;

Ø  Highlighted the need to develop and deliver quality, ethical and attractive tourism products and services to enhance competitiveness;

Ø  Explored the ways innovation can stimulate new products and niche markets;

Ø  Gave an overview of various challenges and constraints and discussed strategic approaches to cope with sustainability issues while maximizing benefits for local destinations;

Ø  Illustrated good cases on possible areas of co-operation and partnership at different levels of governance and among stakeholders; and

Ø  Stressed that effective policy and governance instruments are key drivers for destination performance as the government/public sector has a crucial role in product development.

Lalibela - One of Ethiopia's holiest cities.