Ethiopia Launches Tourism Satellite Account that Paves Way for Data-Driven Dev’t

Ethiopia Tourism Satellite Account (TSA), a global measurement tool that would pave the way for data-driven tourism development was launched today.Developed by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), TSA is a standard statistical framework for measuring tourism's economic impact.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 effectively measure and manage its economic impact, she said.'This is a very historic day for Ethiopia...I welcome you to this m ilestone 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,' Nasisie said.Ethiopia has diverse tourism resources and tourism is the government's priority sector to contribute to the economy, the Minister revealed.On his part, UNECA Representative Geoffrey Manyara praised Ethiopia's commitment to data-driven tourism development.Ethiopia's preparedness for the TSA started last year in February 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.TSA provides information and data on the economic position of the tourism industry and is an objective tool for international comparison of the economic importance of tourism, it was learned.Source: Ethiopian News Agency