ETHIOPIA – The Ministry of Tourism for Ethiopia has announced the launch of the first Tourism Satellite Account (TSA), a global measurement tool that will pave the way for data-driven tourism development.
Developed by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism), TSA is a standard statistical framework for measuring tourism’s economic impact.
The TSA will provide information on tourism’s contribution to GDP, the comparative size of the sector with other industries, job creation, the impact of international tourism on the balance of payments, and government revenues from tourism activities.
Ethiopia is among a select group of African nations, including Kenya and Uganda and it is anticipated to implement this initiative in partnership with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and domestic institutions.
Speaking at the official launching program, Tourism Minister Nasisie Chali emphasized the pivotal role of adopting new data system in driving sustainable tourism development in Ethiopia.
“The launch of our first-ever TSA is a crucial step in capturing comprehensive data about tourism, enabling us to measure and manage its economic impact effectively,” she said.
“This is a very historic day for Ethiopia. I welcome you to this milestone event for the Ministry of Tourism. This official launch of Ethiopia’s first-ever tourism satellite account is a scientific tool, designed to capture data on national tourism.
“Today marks a significant turning point on how we understand, measure and manage our nation’s key economic sector which is tourism.”
The minister revealed that Ethiopia has diverse tourism resources and that tourism is the government’s priority sector for contributing to the economy.
On his part, UNECA Representative Geoffrey Manyara praised Ethiopia’s commitment to data-driven tourism development.
Ethiopia’s preparedness for the TSA started in February last year, and now we have an approved TSA, he stated.
“This is indeed a remarkable achievement, and just to say that Ethiopia is one of the few countries in Africa that have a TSA,” Manyara said.
According to him, the TSA will provide valuable insights into tourism’s true contribution to the Ethiopian economy and its future potential.
The representative expressed UNECA’s commitment to support Ethiopia in this sector.
It was learned that the TSA provides information and data on the economic position of the tourism industry and is an objective tool for international comparison of tourism’s economic importance.
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