Tourism Policy Debate

The party clarified that the mentioned sites were merely examples and that they intend to expand infrastructure and tourism development equally across all regions of Ethiopia, not just the north or faith-based sites.

• Stated that the locations listed in the manifesto were just examples.

  [18:42]

• Pledged to expand infrastructure to all tourist destinations across the entire country.

  [18:57]

• Emphasized that they work for all Ethiopian people equally and will develop tourism in the South, Afar, Tigray, Amhara, and Oromia regions.

  [20:30]

The party stated that ensuring peace is the primary prerequisite for tourism development, noting current conflicts in multiple regions. They plan to work on peace and infrastructure simultaneously, but peace cannot be delayed.

• Identified ensuring peace as the primary task for tourism development, citing lack of peace in Amhara, Tigray, Afar, and Oromia.

  [23:01]

• Promised to work on peace and infrastructure side by side, stressing that peace is an urgent priority.

  [23:44]

The party does not oppose development or tourism but strongly opposes projects that displace citizens and make them homeless without preparation. They prioritize citizens' basic needs over tourism development.

• Stated they do not oppose development but reject development that displaces people and leaves them homeless.

  [24:01]

• Argued that citizen-centered strategies must come first, prioritizing citizens' safety, shelter, and food before tourism.

  [25:08] [25:46]

The party aims to increase the country's tourism revenue to 15% within five years. They plan to achieve this by expanding infrastructure, ensuring peace, and encouraging domestic private investors.

• Pledged to increase the country's tourism revenue from under 3% to 15% in the next five years.

  [26:49]

• Promised to expand various infrastructures to attract domestic and foreign tourists and generate foreign currency.

  [27:39]

• Stated they will encourage and support domestic private investors to grow the tourism economy.

  [28:17]

The party plans to make tourism a fundamental economic pillar by leveraging Ethiopia's diverse geography and history. They aim to create local jobs and engage communities in supply chains and daily markets around tourist destinations.

• Promised to make tourism a basic economic pillar for the country.

  [29:59]

• Pledged to create job opportunities for locals around tourist destinations and engage them in supply and daily markets.

  [30:18]

The party acknowledges the positive impact of the current government's projects in increasing tourist numbers and foreign currency but notes that lack of peace and logistics still hinder full potential. They plan to continue and expand upon the started projects.

• Acknowledged that the Gebeta projects increased foreign tourist numbers, extended their stay, and boosted domestic tourism.

  [33:48]

• Pledged to continue the started projects with better quality and broader scope.

  [34:43]

• Identified the lack of peace as a cardinal issue preventing Ethiopia from fully benefiting from tourism.

  [31:32]

The party will train local communities and guides to better serve and inform tourists. They aim to increase foreign tourists to over 5 million and significantly boost domestic tourist numbers within five years.

• Promised to train local communities and guides on how to promote and explain resources to tourists.

  [35:39]

• Pledged to increase foreign tourist numbers to 5 million and above in the next five years.

  [36:37]

• Aimed to increase domestic tourist numbers from the current 40+ million.

  [36:45]

Following moderate liberalism, the party believes the government should limit its intervention, leaving most business operations to the private sector. The government's role will be providing legal frameworks, policies, technology, incentives, and ensuring peace.

• Stated they follow moderate liberalism and will limit government intervention, leaving most works to private investors.

  [37:06]

• Defined the government's role as providing legal frameworks, policies, technology, and incentives for the private sector.

  [37:41]

• Emphasized that the government must play a critical role in ensuring local peace so tourists can stay without fear.

  [38:07]

The party argued that the projects filled a massive backlog in tourist facilities, enabling Ethiopia to compete globally and host over 150 international events last year. They created hundreds of thousands of jobs and built confidence in the country's hosting capacity.

• Stated the projects filled basic backlogs of tourist facilities and infrastructure needed for global competition.

  [39:09]

• Claimed the projects created direct job opportunities for hundreds of thousands of citizens.

  [39:40]

• Highlighted that the new facilities enabled Ethiopia to host over 150 international events in the past year by providing necessary capacity like catering and guest houses.

  [40:10] [40:56] [41:44]

The party countered that tourism is inherently pro-poor, creating numerous jobs. They cited Wenchi as an example where locals became owners of guest houses and suppliers of agricultural products to tourists and lodges.

• Argued that the tourism sector is pro-poor and creates many job options for low-income individuals.

  [44:18]

• Provided the example of Wenchi, where locals became guest house owners and supply milk, honey, meat, and vegetables to tourists.

  [44:58]

The party views tourism as a tool to bring peace by strengthening people-to-people relations. They noted that tourists are currently visiting five strong routes safely. They address embassy warnings by taking ambassadors to visit sites physically.

• Asserted that tourism is a solution to bring peace by strengthening interpersonal relations and providing income.

  [45:47]

• Stated that tourists are currently safely visiting five strong tourist routes in the country.

  [46:22]

• Mentioned they take foreign ambassadors to physically visit tourist destinations to change their perspectives despite travel warnings.

  [47:05]

The party clarified that the government only intervenes to build demonstration projects in areas with huge backlogs (like Afar) where the private sector hasn't invested. They provide incentives for private investors, who ultimately run the businesses.

• Explained that the government builds demonstration projects in areas with severe backlogs, like Afar, where no facilities existed.

  [47:45]

• Stated the government provides incentives like finance and duty-free vehicles to encourage the private sector.

  [48:03]

• Denied competing with the private sector, noting that even government-built facilities are run by private businesses.

  [48:28]

The party aims to reach 7 million tourists, create numerous jobs, and make Ethiopia the leading tourist center in Africa.

• Pledged to increase the number of tourists to 7 million in the next five years.

  [48:48]

• Promised to make Ethiopia the leading tourist center in Africa.

  [48:55]

The party responded that the security situation is not as bad as portrayed on social media. They highlighted that over 30 million domestic tourists and 6 million foreign tourists traveled recently, generating over 14 billion dollars, proving the sector's resilience.

• Claimed the security situation is not as bad as portrayed on social media.

  [49:56]

• Stated that over 30 million domestic tourists traveled in one year.

  [50:27]

• Reported receiving over 6 million foreign visitors and generating over 14 billion dollars in recent years.

  [50:39]

• Emphasized using domestic tourism as a shock absorber to keep the sector resilient.

  [52:37]

The party strongly denied demolishing heritage, explaining their philosophy is to protect past heritage while building new ones. They cited heavy investments in restoring Lalibela, Sof Omar, Jimma Abba Jifar, and Fasilides, and stated that corridor developments elevated, rather than destroyed, these sites.

• Stated their philosophy is "protecting the heritage of the past and building the heritage of our era."

  [53:22] [54:10]

• Highlighted heavy investments to protect and repair Lalibela, Sof Omar, Jimma Abba Jifar, and Fasilides.

  [53:36]

• Denied that corridor development destroys heritage, asserting it actually elevated sites like Abba Jifar in Jimma, Jugol in Harar, and Fasilides in Gondar.

  [56:30]

The party explained that their development vision is multi-sectoral, encompassing eco-tourism, cultural, sports, and conference tourism. They emphasized the success of conference tourism and the inclusion of tourism in macroeconomic reforms to mobilize resources and incentivize the private sector.

• Stated their tourism strategy is multi-sectoral, including eco-tourism, cultural tourism, sports tourism, and conference tourism.

  [59:04]

• Highlighted that conference tourists spend up to three times more than regular tourists, boosting local businesses.

  [1:00:30]

• Noted that including tourism in the macroeconomic reform allowed the government to mobilize resources and provide incentives for private hotel and lodge construction.

  [1:01:43]

The party questioned the opposition's contribution to peace. They argued that tourists are not targeted by organized crime in Ethiopia, reflecting the people's hospitality, and warned that discouraging tourism due to security harms citizens' livelihoods.

• Questioned what contribution the opposition parties have made to bring about peace.

  [1:03:13]

• Asserted that unlike other countries, tourists in Ethiopia are not targeted by organized crime, showing the people's hospitality.

  [1:04:11]

• Mentioned changing the legal term from "wild animals" to "wildlife" to better protect them.

  [1:05:11]

The party will ensure community peace and provide infrastructure equally without discrimination. They hold the ruling Prosperity Party responsible for the current state of tourism because they failed to ensure peace.

• Promised to provide infrastructure support equally to all communities without discrimination.

  [1:06:13]

• Held the ruling Prosperity Party responsible for the tourism sector's failures due to their inability to ensure community peace.

  [1:06:38]

The party stated they have fundamental philosophical differences, following moderate liberalism rather than Prosperity's Medemer philosophy. They do not oppose good works just for the sake of opposition but maintain their distinct principles.

• Stated they follow moderate liberalism, which fundamentally differs from Prosperity's Medemer philosophy.

  [1:08:00] [1:08:56]

• Explained they do not oppose the government's good works just to act as an opposition party.

  [1:08:06]

The party plans to protect tourism resources, expand destination development, facilitate market development, and build institutional capacity, including trained manpower and infrastructure.

• Pledged to protect tourism resources and expand destination development.

  [1:10:07]

• Promised to build institutional capacity by organizing trained manpower and expanding infrastructure like roads, water, and electricity.

  [1:10:36]

The party will digitize tourist attractions, expand hospitality services, and promote local cultural products so tourists buy them and return repeatedly.

• Promised to digitize tourist attractions and natural resources.

  [1:11:20]

• Pledged to expand hospitality services and the supply of cultural clothes and local products for tourists to buy.

  [1:11:40]

The party will strengthen the heritage and wildlife protection authority and establish strict laws to prevent giving these areas for factory construction and mining.

• Pledged to strengthen the heritage and wildlife protection authority.

  [1:14:21]

• Promised to establish laws and systems to prevent giving tourism areas for factory construction and mining.

  [1:14:56]

The party will create community awareness about forest value to prevent deforestation and wildfires, and will expand legal frameworks and policies for protection.

• Promised to create community awareness to prevent deforestation and wildfires.

  [1:15:23]

• Pledged to issue policies and expand legal frameworks for forest and national park protection.

  [1:15:38]

The party will promote culture, protect heritages, and involve youth and women. However, they stressed that ensuring peace is the absolute prerequisite for any of this to succeed and bring foreign currency.

• Pledged to involve youth and women as change agents in tourism development.

  [1:16:39]

• Emphasized that ensuring peace is the primary prerequisite to protect heritages and attract tourists.

  [1:17:01] [1:18:37]

• Promised to develop tourism destinations around the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

  [1:19:17]

The party will ensure equitable protection of heritages across all regions, combine international and national rights for architectural protection, and build capacity for religious institutions to manage their sites.

• Promised equitable protection and care for heritages and beliefs across all regions of the country.

  [1:21:23]

• Pledged to protect architectural heritages by combining international and national rights.

  [1:21:51]

• Promised to build capacity for religious institutions to manage their heritages and conduct studies in universities.

  [1:22:04]