Dine for Nation Projects Enabled Ethiopia’s Hidden Tourism Gems Provide Economic Benefits
Addis Ababa: Tourism Minister Nasise Chali said Dine for Nation Projects have been helping the country to attract tourists by retrieving inaccessible tourism resources that were not providing the desired economic benefits due to a lack of infrastructures.
Initiated by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, the Dine for Nation projects are aimed at transforming untapped national treasures into economic engines for the benefit of local communities and the country.
This aim has started to bear fruits on Saturday with the Premier’s inauguration of the Chebera Churchura Elephant Paw Lodge, a Dine for Nation project that breathes new life into the Chebera Churchura National Park, which was largely inaccessible for tourists due to lack of infrastructure and amenities, denying nearby communities the economic benefits it could offer.
This project tackled these hurdles head-on, constructing vital infrastructures, making it accessible and desirable for tourists.
During the official inauguration and opening of the lodge, Tourism
Minister Nasise Chali said Ethiopia has endless tourism attractions hidden in all directions.
The country is blessed with natural resources in terms of history, culture, attractive landscape, diverse species of wild animals, hot springs and waterfalls, she pointed out.
Recalling that there were, however, gaps in utilizing these untapped resources, the minister stated that the reform implemented over the past five years has given prior attention to the tourism sector resulting in the development of various tourist destinations.
Accordingly, the government has been developing tourist destinations such as Koisha, Gorgora and Wenchi as part of the Dine for Nation initiative, Nasise pointed out.
According to her, although Southwestern Ethiopia is an area endowed with many natural resources, it was not preferred by visitors due to lack of infrastructure development.
Chebera Churchura National Park located in this area was, for example, not a tourist destination due to lack of infrastructure, the minister said.
According to her, various infrastructures, including roads developed under the Dine for Nation initiative played significant role in making these inaccessible areas become tourist destinations.
Various tourism destinations are also being built across the country under the Dine for Generation Project, the minister mentioned, adding that these projects will play a significant role in promoting Ethiopia’s tourism resources.
For her, Chebera Churchura Elephant Paw Lodge is a unique destination that has been modernized and blended with nature.
This modernized haven for nature lovers marks a triumphant milestone in Ethiopia’s ambitious Dine for Nation initiative, proving that even the most remote corners can blossom into thriving tourist destinations.
Dine for Nation ensures local participation in every step, from construction to hospitality, creating jobs and injecting much-needed income into the region and the country while also empowering communities to become stewards of their own heritage, fostering a sens
e of ownership and responsibility for the project’s success.
Source: Ethiopian News Agency