Exploring Abba Gerima Monastery For Monastery Tourism Development Adwa Ethiopia

The subject of monastery’s tourism resources and their development towards tourism is an issuernwhich needs a great focus from all areas of tourism development in Ethiopia. Because most ofrnthe monasteries are located in remote rural areas, they are not easily accessible for tourists andrnother practitioners. Through time unless some sort of action is taken monasteries may loserneverything they have today. This study is mainly motivated by these and other factors observed inrnabout 1500 monasteries in Ethiopia. The study on the case of Abba Gerima Monastery has threernobjectives: to describe the tourism resources, to explore tourism experience, and to proposernmonastery tourism development. The study was conducted through a qualitative research methodrnwith descriptive and exploratory study designs. The findings for the first objective, i.e.,rndescribing tourism resources in Abba Gerima Monastery has resulted in a surprising wealth ofrnresources. Abba Gerima Monastery is home of diverse tangible and intangible cultural andrnhistorical tourism resources. Additionally, the monastery is also rich for its natural resources.rnThe findings to the second objective which investigates tourism experience of the monastery werernthe focus area. The finding shows that compared to the tourism resources, the monastery’srntourism experience is in its infant stage, even the existing tourism facilities are not exploited forrnthe current tourism activities of the monastery. Finally, to meet the third objective of thernresearch, I have argued that monasteries should be promoted and developed under the newrnmodel called “monastery tourism”, as I propose it. Monastery tourism should not be subsumedrnin to religious tourism, because monastery tourism resources do not have regard only to religionrnor faith motivated tourists as is the aim in the religious tourism. Monasteries are rather therncenter for history, society’s lifelong living system, are symbols for coexistence and tolerance,rnand center for handcraft. Monastery tourism has a wide range of products from history tornreligion to nature, not just religious or faith products as in religious tourism. I recommend thatrnconcerned bodies, which are government at each level, the community, and the monasteryrnpeoples should give attention to Monastery Tourism develop to tap a wide range of tourismrnpotential in monasteries in Ethiopia.

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