Events

World Tourism Day

World Tourism Day commemoration was established at the third session of the General assembly of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) held in Madrid Spain in 1979. It ha been  commemorated on and around 27, September of every year by appropriate events based on the theme chosen by the General Assembly, on recommendation of UNWTO's Executive Council. This date was chosen to coincide with an important landmark in world tourism: the anniversary of adoption of the UNWTO statutes on 27 September 1970.

The main purpose of World Tourism Day is to foster awareness among the international community on the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic values.
  Since the practical commencement of World Tourism Day celebration in 1980, the day is celebrated every year in one selected country at international level as well as in each member countries at national level. Ethiopia has become a member country of UNWTO in 1987 and sincethen World Tourism Day has been celebrated at National level in the country. Formerly, the Day used to be celebrated only in Addis Ababa.  Recently, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism has decided to consider the Regional States of the country to host the National World Tourism Day celebration turn by turn instead of attending it only in Addis Ababa. Accordingly, the 29th World Tourism Day (or the 21st at the National level) celebration was jointly organized  in Oromia and Gambella Regions at the National level for the first time under the theme “Tourism Respond for the Challenge of Climate Change.”

The 2009  World Tourism Day is its 30th (in the world) and 22nd anniversary in Ethiopia was chosen  to be celebrated  in SNNPRS at the National level, which is one of the richest Region in terms of cultural and natural diversity in the country as well as in East Africa. The year World Tourism Day celebrated under the year theme “Tourism - Celebrating Diversity” The theme focuses to alert the importance of diversity for the development of tourism over the world.

His Excellency SNNPRS president, Excellencies Minster and Minster Deta of Culture and Tourism attending Panel discussion in the event held at Hawassa

Among the Federal Regional States of the Country, the SNNPRS highly match up and properly respond to the year World Tourism Day theme: “Tourism-Celebrating Diversity.”  The Region is home for more than 56 Nations Nationalities and People that have their own language, culture, norm, and life styles. It was because the region holds rich diversity of culture and nature that the Federal Culture and Tourism Minister had chosen the National World Tourism Day celebration to be held in the SNNPRS from 27 September to 2 October 2009 for one week.

His Excellency SNNPRS president, Excellencies Minster and Minster Deta of Culture and Tourism attending Panel discussion in the event held at Hawassa 

The 22nd National World Tourism Day of Ethiopia was celebrated in different towns and traveling long distance within the SNNPRS. Ministers, higher officials of the Federal Regional States of the country and other invited guests (Stakeholders) and journalists had attended the events traveling and visiting the various cultures of Nations Nationalities and People as well as the dramatic natural wealth of the region.   

The tour covers a circle that has a total distance of 1188 km with in the Region and had passed through eight Zones including Guraghe, Silte, Hadia, Kembata Tembaro, Wolyta, Gamogofa, Gedeo and Sidama and three Special Woredas/Districts/ namely; Konso, Burji and Amaro.as well as made its final venue in the Regional capital Hawassa town.

During the events, attractions like Tia and  Tuitifela Stelae, Haroshetan creator lake, Ajora falls, Maze National Park, Nech-Sar National Park, the Great Rift Valley Lakes (Chamo & Abaya), Konso, Burji, and Amaro cultural landscape and Gedeo Cultural Agro forestry & historical sites as well as various cultural practices of the different Nations Nationalities have been visited. Besides, panel discussions, food festivals, different sport competitions were also undertaken and made memorable the events.

The True Cross / Meskel /

Maskel, one of the top most holidays, is colorfully celebrated in most parts of the Regional State. The majority of the Nations, Nationalities, and People found in the region accompanies the holiday with traditional holiday songs. In most Nation’s Nationalities and People of the Region, the festivals last about 15 days preparing various types of traditional delicious  foods and the people  enjoys itself with customary singing and dancing in open filed with in their respective villages. A lot of people of the different Nations nationalities and people, who are living in towns, travel to rural area to stay and celebrate the Maskal festivals with their relatives and rural communities. People of  Guragehe, Woliyta, Gamo(Dorze), Dawro, Kaffa, Hadiya, Kembata-Tembaro, who are living in major towns of the country regularly returned back to their birth place in September to celebrate the Meskal holiday with their relatives and  the rural communities. The event is also very important for youngster to find and engage their future partners   .