The economy of Ethiopia has prospered for many years on agricultural products but currently, the country expands to industrialization and service providing for additional incomes. However, the wildlife tourism and conservation practices are still at low attention. Therefore, this review paper identifies potential opportunities and wildlife diversity to promote wildlife tourism practices in Ethiopia. Furthermore, it also identifies the challenges and future directions to put into practice for future wildlife tourism industry. Wildlife tourism is one of the best potential economies to the country due to the presence of magnificent diversity of wildlife with high endemism and expansion of protected areas. The main intentions of tourists are to visit large mammals and birds with their natural habitats. The country earns million dollars per year only from protected areas through nature based tourism. The Montane and Afroalpine, Rift Valley and Transboundary ecosystem, a world class icon for wildlife tourism which attracts various tourists, and potential tourism destination for Ethiopia due to its high mammalian diversity and scenic area. The expansion of protected areas, peaceful and friendly people, and endemism promote tourism industry in Ethiopia. Even though, Ethiopia is the third country next to Tanzania and Uganda in terms of land surface of protected area; human-wildlife conflict, loss of biodiversity, and limited tourism and conservation attention with poor infrastructure are some of the major challenges. To scale up wildlife tourism industry, better promotion with practical conservation practices, community based tourism approaches and infrastructures should be implemented throughout the whole area of tourist destination.
References
[1]
Sinha, C. (2001) Wildlife Tourism: A Geographical Perspective. Conference Paper, 1-23.
[2]
Akama, J.S. (1999) The Evolution of Tourism in Kenya. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 7, 6-25.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09669589908667324
[3]
Nelson, F. (2009) Reforming Wildlife Governance in East and Southern Africa: The Role of Corruption. Working Paper, 7.
Irandu, M.E. (2004) The Role of Tourism in the Conservation of Cultural Heritage in Kenya. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 9, 133-151. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1094166042000233658
[6]
Shackley, M. (1996) Wildlife Tourism. International Thomson Business Press, London.
[7]
Orams, M.B. (2002) Feeding Wildlife as a tourism Attraction: A Review of Issues and Impacts. Tourism Management, 23, 281-293. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0261-5177(01)00080-2
[8]
Tisdell, C. and Wilson, C. (2003) Economics of Wildlife Tourism. Working Paper, 88.
[9]
Hendee, J. and Roggenbuck, J. (1984) Wilderness Related Education as a Factor Increasing Demand for Wilderness. Paper Presented at the International Forest Congress Convention, Quebec City.
[10]
Young, J. (2012) Ethiopian Protected Areas: A “Snapshot”. Word Press, Addis Ababa, 23.
[11]
EBI (2014) Ethiopia’s Fifth National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity. Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute, Addis Ababa.
[12]
Amare, A., Hernandez, A., Mekonnen, A., Hylander, K. and Hayward, M.W. (In Preparation) Human-Wildlife Conflict in and around Gibe Sheleko National Park, Southwestern Ethiopia.
[13]
Bekele, A. and Yalden, D. (2013) The Mammals of Ethiopia and Eritrea. Addis Ababa University Press, Addis Ababa.
[14]
Yalden, D. and Largen, M. (1992) Endemic Mammals of Ethiopia. Mammal Review, 22, 115-150.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2907.1992.tb00128.x
[15]
WCMC (1994) Biodiversity Data Sourcebook. World Conservation Monitoring Centre, World Conservation Press, Cambridge.
[16]
Blower, J. (Undated) The Wildlife of Ethiopia. Oryx, 13, 276-283.
[17]
Vreugdenhil, D., Vreugdenhil, A.M., Tilahun, T., Shimelis, A. and Tefera, Z. (2012) Gap Analysis of the Protected Areas System of Ethiopia, with Technical Contributions from Nagelkerke, L., Gedeon, K., Spawls, S., Yalden, D., Berhanu, L. and Siege, L. Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority (EWCA), Addis Ababa.
[18]
Tefera, M. (2011) Wildlife in Ethiopia: Endemic Large Mammals. Current Zoology, 6, 108-116.
[19]
Amare, A. (2015) Conservation Challenges of Gibe Sheleko National Park, Southwestern Ethiopia. Natural Resources, 6, 286-289. http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/nr.2015.64025
[20]
Dickinson, E.C. (2003) The Howard and Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World. Revised and Enlarged 3rd Edition, Princeton University Press, Princeton.
[21]
Fish Base. http://www.fishbase.org
[22]
Living National Treasures: Ethiopia. http://lntreasures.com/ethiopia.html
Groves, C.P. (2005) Order Primates. In: Wilson, D.E. and Reeder, D.M., Eds., Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, 3rd Edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, 111-184.
[25]
Kingdon, J., Gippoliti, S., Butynski, T.M., Lawes, M.J., Eeley, H., Lehn, C. and De Jong, Y. (2008) Cercopithecus mitis. In: IUCN 2010, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.1. www.iucnredlist.org
[26]
Bruche, S., Gusset. M., Lippold, S., Barnett, R., Eulenberger, K., Junhold, J., Driscoll, A.C. and Hofreiter, M. (2012) A Genetically Distinct Lion (Panthera leo) Population from Ethiopia. European Journal of Wildlife Research, 59, 215- 225. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10344-012-0668-5
Zelalem, T. (2007) Community Attitudes towards Wildlife Conservation in Ethiopia. Proceedings of the 2007 George Wright Society Conference, 287-292.
[29]
Murray, M. and Admasu, B. (2013) Development of a Marketing Strategy for Wildlife Tourism in Ethiopia. Unpublished Report, 65.
[30]
Reddy, R.U. and Workeneh, S. (2014) Conflicts between the Conservation of Elephant and Human Activities: In the Case of Babile Elephant Sanctuary (BES), Ethiopia. European Academic Research, 2, 1280-1292.
[31]
Tedla, S. (1995) Protected Areas Management Crisis in Ethiopia. Walia, 16, 17-30.
[32]
Wilfred, P. (2010) Towards Sustainable Wildlife Management Areas in Tanzania. Tropical Conservation Science, 3, 103-116.
[33]
Birdlife International (2001) Important Bird Areas in Africa and Associated Islands—Ethiopian Wild Life and Natural History Society. Unpublished Report, 32.
[34]
Yihune, M., Bekele, B. and Tefera, Z. (2008) Human-Gelada Baboon Conflict in and around the Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia. African Journal of Ecology, 19, 1-7.
[35]
Kumsa, T. (2006) Human-Wildlife Conflict and Population Status of Swayne’s Hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphusswaynei) in Senkele Swayne’s Hartebeest Sanctuary. Master’s Thesis, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa.
[36]
Wolde-Yohannes, D. (2006) Diversity, Distribution and Relative Abundance of the Avian Fauna of Chebera Churchura National Park, Ethiopia. Master’s Thesis, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa.
[37]
Admasu, M. (2006) History and Status of the Population of African Elephant (Loxodonta africana Blumbenbach, 1979) and Human-Elephant Conflict in Chebera Churchura National Park, Ethiopia. Master’s Thesis, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa.
[38]
EWNHS, Ethiopian Wildlife Natural History Museum Society (2001) Important Bird Areas in Ethiopia. Review Paper, 291-336.
[39]
African Development Bank (2014) African Economic Outlook. Unpublished Report, 58.
[40]
Ondicho, T.G. (2000) International Tourism in Kenya: Development, Problems and Challenges. EASSRR, 9, 49-69.
[41]
Magige, F.J. (2012) Human-Wildlife Interaction in Serengeti and Ngorongoro Districts of Tanzania: A Case Study on Small Mammals. Tanzania Journal of Science, 38, 95-105.
[42]
Messana, G.M. and Bereket, N. (1994) The Senkele Swayne’s Hartebeest Sanctuary Management Plan. Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Department, Addis Ababa.
[43]
Bishaw, B. (2001) Deforestation and Land Degradation in Ethiopian High Lands: A Strategy for Physical Recovery. North East African Studies, 8, 7-25. http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/nas.2005.0014
[44]
Masanja, G.F. (2014) Human Population Growth and Wildlife in Ugalla Ecosystem, Western Tanzania. Journal of Sustainable Development Studies, 2, 192-217.
[45]
Meduna, A.J., Ogunjinmi, A.A. and Onadeko, S.A. (2009) Biodiversity Conservation Problems and Their Implications on Ecotourism in Kainji Lake National Park, Nigeria. Journal of Sustainable Development in Africa, 10, 59-73.
[46]
Stuart, S.N., Adams, R.J. and Jenkins, M.D. (1990) Biodiversity in Sub-Saharan Africa and Its Islands: Conservation, Management, and Sustainable Use. Occasional Paper of the IUCN Species Survival Commission, 86.
[47]
Lindsey, P.A. (2008) Trophy Hunting in Sub-Saharan Africa: Economic Scale and Conservation Significance. In: Baldus, R.D., Damm, G.R. and Wollscheid, K., Eds., Best Practices in Sustainable Hunting, 41-47.
