Enhancing Domestic Tourism Development: The Case of Aksum, Northern Ethiopia
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Date
2012-06
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Addis Ababauniversity
Abstract
The major objective of this study was to assess the problems, challenges and opportunities facing
domestic tourism development in Aksum. This thesis has applied the combination of qualitative and
quantitative research methods. The research instruments included questionnaires, interviews, FGD,
Document analysis and unstructured personal observation. The study has gathered data from 150
domestic visitors who visited the area during Hidar Tsion festival. Moreover, questionnaire survey was
employed to 100 local communities out of which 84 were used for further analysis. In addition to these,
semi-structured interviews were conducted on 25% of tourism businesses (hotels and restaurants) in the
area. Based on purposive sampling method, interviews were conducted with traditional costume and
so uvenir shops, Religious Travel Organizers, travel intermediaries and public touri sm organs. One
FGD was also conducted with a group of 7 members comprised of different tourism stakeholders in the
area. The data gathered through questionnaire survey were processed in SPSS Version 17.0 and tallied,
tabulated and analyzed through descriptive statistical tools. Data gathered via qualitative methods- semistructured
interview and FGD were analyzed thematically and narrative analysis. Results demonstrate
that, the domestic tourism is not well developed in the study area due to multitude of demand and
supply related factors. The former include: lower level of income, lower travel culture of the people,
lack of free time, and lack of information about the sites. The later include: escalation of cost of
accommodation and price of food and beverage (on Hidar Tsion and Hosaena fe stival s), problem of
infrastructure, unequal treatment of domestic tourists with internationals, low promotional and
awareness creation activities and the lower attention given by travel intermediaries. Moreover, domestic
tourism development in Aksum is challenged by seasonality where most of domestic tourists visit the
area in one or two rel igious events. Hence, there is a need to have a nationwide domestic tourism
development strategy, undertaking promotional and awareness creation activities, and developing the
necessary infrastructure.
Key words: Tourism, Domestic Tourism, problems, challenges and Aksum
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Case of Aksum, Northern Ethiopia