Gondar Gets New Tourist Map

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – The Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) together with the Ethiopian Mapping Agency (EMA) and the Ministry of Culture & Tourism (MoCT) prepared a new tourist map for Gondar town, the capital of North Gondar Zone in the Amhara Region.

“The prevalence of peace and the sustained economic growth has changed the image the country. For this reason, the perception of international tourists has changed and their desire to visit tourist sites is growing day by day,” Tadelech Dalacho, State minister for Tourism.

By 2014, Ethiopia is expected to be one of world`s top tourist destinations. Gondar town is among tourist destinations in Ethiopia where UNESCO`s historic treasure is found, she added.

According to Tadelech, Gondar Town Tourist Map will play a key role in giving tourists detailed information concerning the City of Gondar.

Besides giving a clear direction for tourists, the map will further boost tourism and encourage tourists to stay longer in the city of Gondar in particular and the region in general, says Spanish Ambassador to Ethiopia Miguel Fernandez-Palacios The Ambassador also said the map was awarded New Mapmaker Award by the National Geographic Society granted by the British Cartographic Society in 2013.

The map is well designed and bears key tourist sites it will further encourage them to visit more historic sites and extend their stay, it was learnt.

The map is prepared using Geographic Information Technologies (TIGs) and would give an advantage for tourists to identify heritages which were out of the usual tourist routes.