Convention bureau to target international conventions

Ethiopia wants to bring more international events to the country so it is opening a national tourism convention bureau.
The government is working with tourism consultant Rick Taylor to open the bureau in Addis Ababa. According to a source at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, they are talking with a consultant who served as Chief Executive Officer of Cape Metropolitan Tourism and the Cape Town Convention Bureau for seven years and later as Head of the National Convention Bureau for South African Tourism to consult on the project.
The bureau will represent Ethiopia when submitting proposal bids to host international events. It will also collect and publicize information about tourism. It will also promote tourism in Ethiopia and show all the country has to offer when it comes to business conventions.
“The problem is we don’t have an institution seeking out international events to be held in Ethiopia like, the Rwandans, Kenyans and South Africans. The government is going to learn how to develop one and likely open the bureau within the next two years,” a source told Capital.
This could lead to generating millions of dollars, the source says.
“Let’s give you a simple example. If we call one international meeting that has at least 1,000 people attending, they will come for the meetings, take our airlines, rest in the hotel rooms, visit historical places, take taxies and go to the shops to buy things. We can earn at least 50 million birr with one event.’’
Kumneger Teketel, Managing Director and Lead Consultant of OZZIE Business & Hospitality Consultancy and International Events Company who has been suggesting the government open the national convention bureau for the last four years said the opening will bring good results to the national tourism and hospitality industry.
“I strongly recommend establishing the National Convention Bureau and having it led by high level professionals,” he said.