Addis Ababa, November 26, 2024 (FBC) – Ethiopia and China have signed a bilateral agreement to strengthen their cooperation in the tourism sector.
Ethiopia’s Tourism Minister Selamawit Kassa and Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia, Chen Hai signed the agreement today.
The agreement aims at enhancing collaboration in tourism development, protection of wild animals and expanding cooperation in cultural exchanges.
Minister of Tourism, Selamawit Kassa on the occasion mentioned about Ethiopia’s UNESCO inscribed world heritages.
As per the priority given to the tourism sector in the homegrown economic reform, Ethiopia has been able to create a favorable environment by expanding tourism destinations, improving infrastructures and developing tourism information services, the minister noted.
“The tourism sector is one of the key sources of foreign currency in addition to its contribution to the promotion of Micro and Small Scale enterprises by creating employment opportunities to ensure sustainable development.”.
The minister pointed out that Ethiopia and China have a long standing historic relation in economy, diplomacy and other fields.
She also mentioned that the two countries have strong cooperation in tourism hospitality, fashion industry, construction and culture.
This agreements aims at enhancing the cooperation of Ethiopia and China in the tourism sector, she added.
Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia, Chen Hai for his part stated that Ethiopia and China have been enjoying a long standing development and diplomatic cooperation.
Mentioning the immense tourism potential of the two countries, he affirmed that Ethiopia and China will continue to strengthen their cooperation to bolster their mutual benefit in the sector.
“China and Ethiopia are countries with ancient civilizations,” the ambassador noted.
The two countries are endowed with world acclaimed culture and potential natural resources as well as tourism destinations, he said, pointing out that the tourism sector is a big area of cooperation that the two countries can work together.
According to ambassador, the sector is a huge potential in the socio-economic development efforts of the two countries.