ADDIS ABEBA(July 18,2008) - Despite the immense natural and cultural resources the country is endowed with, Ethiopia is sadly at the bottom as far as their exploitation is concerned, according to the world in Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index 2008.

Ethiopia ranks 126th, in the index where it is placed among the lowest in the sub-Saharan Africa.

The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2008 was announced at a Workshop conducted as part of the USAID Ethiopia Tourism Competitiveness......

During the workshop, Jennifer Blankeenior expert and coauthorof the global report, said the index was made based on the TTCI measures the factors and policies that make the sector attractive to develop the T&T sector in different countries summarized by the 14 pillars of travel and tourism competitiveness.

She said These pillars are Price competitiveness, Policy rules and regulations, Environmental sustainability Safety and security, Health and hygiene, Prioritization of travel and tourism, air transport infrastructure, ground transport infrastructure, tourism infrastructure, Information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure, price competitiveness, Human capital, Affinity for travel & tourism, Natural resources, Cultural resources

"Our study is not a 'beauty contest' on the attractiveness of a country. Rather, we aim to measure the factors that make it attractive to develop the travel and tourism industry of individual countries," Blanke said.

"Among these, price competitiveness, cultural as well as natural resources is where the country placed itself a better position, even from the worldwide perspective," she added.

According to the report, Ethiopia ranks 16th in Price Competitiveness, 34th in Natural Resources and, 65th in Cultural Resources in the index which covers 130 countries around the world.

Blanke noted that the country needs to step up to improve itself in the other the can help the sector to develop and finally make the rank of Ethiopia to go high.

Health and hygiene, Environmental sustainability, safety and security in the country are doing way below the regional average, according to the report.

Praising the timing of the report, Minister of Culture and Tourism Ambassador Mohamud Dirir said information incorporated in the report might be handy for country's tourism guideline, which he said was currently under development.

"We are currently at the final touch of preparing our guideline," said the minister. "We have to look into the deficient areas, this report can be used in that regard," he said.

The ambassador promised to work together with other stakeholders on the matter.

The minister said the other areas which the report indicates to be looked into, would be enhanced together with the country's overall development.

According to the second annual Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2008, Switzerland, Austria and Germany rank high respectively for having the most attractive environments for developing the travel and tourism industry.

Currently travel and tourism account for more than $3 trillion in spending annually and 7.6 percent of the world's total employment with the UN World Tourism Organization forecasts that international travel will double by 2020.