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 to enhance collaboration in tourism development, protection of wild animals, and expanding cooperation in cultural exchanges.
Minister of Tourism, Selamawit Kassa on the occasion mentioned 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 the economy, diplomacy, and other fields.
She also mentioned that the two countries have strong cooperation in tourism hospitality, fashion industry, construction, and culture.
This agreement 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.
He said the two countries are endowed with world-acclaimed culture, potential natural resources, and tourism destinations, pointing out that the tourism sector is a big area of cooperation in which the two countries can work together.
According to the ambassador, the sector has a huge potential in the socio-economic development efforts of the two countries.
Source: ENA
