In the 2022/2023 fiscal year, the Benishangul Gumuz Regional State received a total of 40,600 tourists, resulting in an income of Birr 103 million 199 thousand. Out of the total visitors, 40,000 were domestic tourists and 600 were foreign tourists. This represents an 18 percent increase in the performance of the tourism sector compared to the previous year. The improved performance can be attributed to factors such as relative peace in all three zones of the region, the development of tourist destinations, and their accessibility to visitors.

In the same fiscal year, the Southern Nations’ Nationalities and Peoples’s Region’s (SNNPR) Culture and Tourism Bureau had set a target of earning Birr 350 million Birr from the tourism sector but managed to earn Birr 271 million. More than 4.4 million domestic visitors traveled to the region which, therefore, achieved 81% of its planned target of 5.5 million visitors. Regarding foreign visitors, the region expected 20,000 but only received 10,200. As a result, the total income generated showed a decrease of Birr 59 million compared to the previous fiscal year. Furthermore, the sector fell short in job creation, with only 38,058 jobs being created instead of the planned target of 65,000 jobs. The failure to fully implement the plans was attributed to peace and security issues.

Source (including image): Fana BC