The dramatic scenery of Konso in southwestern Ethiopia has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This will be Ethiopia’s ninth such site, meaning it has more than any other country in Africa. This occasion was celebrated in Konso with an event organized by the Ethiopian Authority for Research and Conservation of Cultural Heritage, and was attended by the Minister of Culture and Tourism, UNESCO representatives, ministers, ambassadors and the private sector. Konso was awarded the honor in recognition of its unique landscape, which demonstrates cultural traditions stretching back over 400 years – many of which are still alive today.

The region’s stone-walled terraces and fortified settlements demonstrate the shared values, social cohesion and engineering knowledge of its people. They are also examples of how local communities have adapted – over 20 generations – to southern Ethiopia’s arid environment, allowing them to live sustainably in this hostile region. Groups of anthropomorphic wooden statues represent respected community members and heroic events, and stone stelae mark the passing of leaders, and determine a family’s status even to this day.

Konso is also an emerging community tourism destination. New tourism products are being developed here with the support of Ethiopian Sustainable Tourism Alliance (ESTA), a five-year USAID-funded project. One of these products is the Travelers’ Philanthropy Program , which gives visitors the opportunity to donate and plant tree seedlings as a way of contributing to the rehabilitation of the land. You can find out more about this and other tourism activities in Konso on the newly-launched community tourism portal www.RootsOfEthiopia.com.

Solimar is proud to announce the launch of the Roots of Ethiopia website. This unique portal promotes the wide range of community tourism products found in Ethiopia; thus helping to position it as a top community tourism destination in Africa. The website has been developed by the Ethiopian Sustainable Tourism Alliance in partnership with the Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) and Tesfa (Tourism in Ethiopia for Sustainable Future Alternatives), and features an array of activities including culture and nature walks, weaving and cooking demonstrations, horseback rides, boat tours and craft shopping, among others.The portal’s launch event took place in April in Addis Ababa. It was opened by Ethiopia’s State Minister of Tourism and was attended by key tourism stakeholders from the public and private sectors and across the development industry.

The core of the event was the presentation of the website and its functions. Solimar International’s Jessie McComb led this section in a fun and engaging way by describing how different types of tourists might use the website to learn more about Ethiopia and the community tourism products. She used the following real and fictional case studies:

• • Ms. McComb’s worry-wart mother, who would immediately ask about health, safety, transport and travel logistics. This information is all included in the “Plan Your Trip” section, which includes detailed FAQs for first-time travelers to Ethiopia and Africa.

• • Anna, an imaginary, well-traveled German tourist, is coming to Ethiopia on a package tour, but also wants to discover local culture. Using the “Search by Destination” function, which displays the community tourism destinations on a country a map, she can see which communities are located close to the sites that she will already be visiting.

• • Mike and John are expatriates living in Addis, with a good knowledge of Ethiopian geography. With the aid of the “Search by Activity” function, they can quickly find a tour that will fit their interests.

Roots of Ethiopia has been launched at a key moment for the tourism market. In 2009, over 105 million Americans used the Internet for travel planning – a 16% increase from 2007- while the number of Europeans booking travel online is now approaching 50% and growing. This new web presence offers a tremendous opportunity for rural Ethiopian communities to reach internet-savvy tourists around the world, to improve their livelihoods, create much-needed employment and generate income.