Tour operators among other stakeholders in Uganda and Ethiopia have been urged to promote tourism products and services in both countries as a single destination.

The call was sounded by Alemtsehay Meseret, the Ethiopian ambassador to Uganda, during a tourism workshop held at the embassy of Ethiopia on Friday.

The Ethiopian envoy expressed a need to create a working relationship between tour operators and stakeholders from both countries through experience sharing, networking and exploring complementary tourism destinations. 

She expressed her government's commitment to gear up efforts towards tourism promotion and development of more sites and products.

Sisay Getachew, a tourism expert from Ethiopia's ministry of tourism, described Ethiopia as the land of origin of mankind and coffee. He expressed willingness to collaborate with Uganda's tour operators to include Ethiopia on their itineraries.

Yewagnesh Biriggwa, the board member of Uganda Tourism Board, noted that Africa has an immense tourism potential that needs to be tapped by promoting inter-Africa tourism and travels. 

She thus urged Uganda tour operators to include Ethiopia's tourism sites on their packages as well as Ethiopia tour operators to promote Uganda as the pearl of Africa.

Saleshi Girma, the Ethiopian minister of state for tourism, expressed commitment for his government to ease all forms of travel restrictions to and from Ethiopia in order to enable the smooth flow of tourists entering and leaving the country.

"We are looking forward to easing the Visa process and reopening all the closed tourism destinations as well as the newly developed high-class tourist destinations in Ethiopia," said Saleshi.

 
He further expressed Ethiopia's interest to create joint regional tourism packages with other countries in East Africa in order to compete in the global tourism market.

The Friday event which was organised by the Embassy of Ethiopia in Uganda in collaboration with the Association of Uganda Tour Operators (AUTO), attracted presentations, discussions and tasting of Ethiopian cuisines and coffee as well as viewing photo galleries.