The UNESCO Inscription of Gedeo Cultural Landscape and Bale Mountains will provide a significant contribution to strengthen the conservation of the sites and promote Ethiopia’s tourism sector, the Ministry of Tourism said.
Recalled that UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has recently granted World Heritage status to the Gedeo Cultural Landscape and Bale Mountains National Park bringing the number of Ethiopia’s UNESCO inscribed World heritages to 11.
Gedeo Cultural Landscape has over 6,000 megalithic stelae with their attractive images for researchers, foreign and local visitors. The heritage also comprises magnificent forests, which has been protected through generations.
Similarly, the Bale Mountains National Park is endowed with several species of plants, mammals, and birds, among which many are endemic to the park. The site is also home to National Park Lakes created in various ways containing wetlands and volcanic remains with spectacular landscape making it one of the ideal tourist destinations.
Communication and Public Relation Director Alemayheu Getachew told ENA the inscription of these two heritages by UNESCO as world heritages is a great opportunity for Ethiopia to promote the tourism industry which is one of the pillars of national economy.
The newly inscribed world heritages will also help the country enhance its ongoing efforts to developing and promoting tourism destinations.
He said the inscription brings a lot of benefits to Ethiopia as it provides international recognition which is instrumental to consolidate country’s effort to sustainably conserve and protect heritages with a view to supporting the economic and social development of the country.
Following the registration, UNESCO will not only carry out protection and conservation activities but also engage in promoting the sites with its various outlets and other mechanisms to the global community.
This in turn helps all stakeholders engaged in the tourism sector and tourists across the globe to easily access information about the heritages so as to visit the country, he added.
Enhanced protection and conservation of the heritages is also vital to attracting foreign tourists which is useful to the livelihood of host community and the overall national economy of the country.
As number of tourists visiting the sites increases, the host community will also be beneficial in terms of job creation other development activities.
The inscription of the sites is also vital to help enhance environmental protection and ecological conservation, he underscored.
Hence, the Director expressed hope that the two sites will become most preferable ideal tourist destinations in Ethiopia due to the international recognition and protection.
Ethiopia leads in Africa with its UNESCO World heritage sites with 11 historical, natural and cultural heritages which reflects the remarkable history and culture of the people of the country.
Source: Ethiopian News Agency