This is article is part of a series of articles related to the importance of GERD for tourism and hospitality sector development in Ethiopia. The author wishes to explore the potentials for tourism development in and around GERD in Benishangul Gumuz Region. The number of tourists visiting GERD may increase by next year after the inauguration of the dam.
GERD could significantly boost Ethiopia’s tourism and hospitality sectors. GERD provides a unique ecotourism & natural showcase and an additive to the development of tourism in Ethiopia. The GERD reservoir has created a large artificial lake–anticipated to be around 1,700 km²–featuring more than 70 islands, a thriving aquatic ecosystem, and new biodiversity zones. This opens doors for boat tours, bird watching, fishing trips, and appreciation of scenic landscapes.
The Dam sets a stage in which indigenous fish species and plants could be used and reserved to keep the balance of nature and ecotourism environment around the dam.
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Tourism potential lies in the reservoir’s more than 70 islands and shores–prime for floating resorts, lakeside lodges, and cultural tours celebrating the heritage of local groups like the Berta, Gumuz, Mao, Komo, and Shinasha. A feasibility study has even proposed a floating resort project on the GERD lake, aiming to spur economic activity and recreational appeal. Besides, sports competitions like canoe and rowing competition can be organized anew on the lake created by the dam. Tourists can enjoy recreational tours much similar to that of a trip on Lake Tana by Tananesh Boat.
The reservoir has already started to foster a new freshwater fishery scene. An anticipated annual yield of several thousand tones could support local restaurants, food tourism, and fish-related businesses. This would create an excellent opportunity for tourists from the Middle East, Europe and Asia to visit various parts of GERD.
Investments are underway in hatcheries, processing facilities, and distribution networks, which can integrate with hospitality–ensuring fresh, local cuisine becomes a tourism draw In Ethiopia, food is deeply tied to cultural identity, religion, and regional diversity which is ideal for food tourism.
The Benishangul-Gumuz region has unique, underexplored culinary traditions (e.g., Gumuz and Berta ethnic foods).
Traditional Ethiopian dishes like injera with shiro, doro wat, kitfo, and regional specialties could attract tourists seeking authentic experiences.
Involving local communities in food preparation, storytelling, and cultural performance can provide both an authentic experience and sustainable income. The dam has potential to boost irrigated agriculture in the region. Tourists may also be interested in visiting lake side farms that could add more beauty to the dam.
Visitors can explore local farming practices, harvest local produce, and participate in farm- to-table experiences. The dam and lake could host floating restaurants, lakeside cafés, or eco-lodges that serve local dishes. Tourists can enjoy meals with views of the dam, lake, and wildlife. Hosting regional food festivals celebrating local ethnic dishes and music would increase visibility and tourist inflow at GERD.
GERD is already emerging as a transformative economic catalyst through its energy output, but it’s similarly poised to spark tourism-led growth. The dam’s sites– energy, nature, culture, and recreation– form diversified attractions for both domestic and international visitors. Regional planners foresee tourism becoming the second pillar of economic activity in Benishangul-Gumuz– right after agriculture.
GERD presents a rare opportunity to transform Ethiopia’s tourism landscape adding watery, scenic, and cultural layers to its attractions. With targeted infrastructure, eco- and cultural-packaged offerings, and hospitality development, the dam can help the sector flourish and contribute to local livelihoods and national GDP growth. Strong infrastructure & services are critical–access roads, boat facilities, hospitality services.
Conservation and environmental protection are essential to preserve natural appeal.
Funding and financial backing drive tourism infrastructure development. Protecting the dam from siltation and other environmental hazards is very important to make the area attractive for tourists.
Awareness and training for both service providers and local communities–support quality tourism experiences. Interestingly, accessibility alone wasn’t a significant factor, suggesting that tourists value the quality of offerings over just reachability. Blending Tourism, Community participation on conservation is also very important in running the environment related programs.
The Bishangari Eco lodge in Ethiopia exemplifies a successful model of integrating tourism with social and environmental goals This Provides employment and markets for nearby communities–farm products, handicrafts. Investments in local infrastructure (e.g., clean water, transport, and communications) can boost urbanization.
The project offers environmental education and sustainable practices like waste management, solar energy use could boost urbanization in the area. Yet the project also highlights the need for stronger government recognition of eco-lodges and more community participation in decision-making. Create jobs, protect ecosystems, and foster community empowerment.
In 2022/23, Benishangul-Gumuz hosted 40,600 tourists (mostly domestic), generating over 103 million Birr–an 18% growth over the previous year. The region has earmarked 69,000 hectares for investment across sectors including tourism, hospitality, fish farming, and agriculture–especially post-dam. Major strides have been made to connect the region: since 2012, a bridge over the Blue Nile and upgraded roads reduced travel distances significantly.
Asosa Airport also services the regional capital, enhancing air access but needs further expansion and efficient service. A combination of water based tourism spots, island eco lodge resorts, integrated, lake front resort zones and development of digital guide application could help to maximize the benefits that the region and the country can get from GERD in eco-tourism.
To ensure that these models work effectively is important to invest in supportive infrastructure–roads, docks, visitor centers, power, and water access, engaging local communities from the start through planning, training, and equitable benefit-sharing, strengthening peace and conflict resolution frameworks, ensuring safe and inclusive tourism zones, Securing funding and partnerships–e.g., government-private, NGO-community to sustain long-term operations, building tourism awareness and capacity through training for hospitality, conservation, and digital navigation tools are all important to ascertain quality services on tourism development at GERD.
What is to be done to ensure sustained tourism development in the areas around GERD?
Sustainable eco-tourism development entails conducting wider catchment development and conservation around GERD. Research reveals that, between 1992 and 2020, water and sediment yields in the Blue Nile Basin have significantly increased, particularly in sub-basins upstream of GERD–such as Didesa, Dabus, Beshilo, Tana, Jemma, Muger, Guder, Welaka, and parts of Gojam.
Alarmingly, almost 90% of the sediment yield originates from these upstream areas, posing a risk to the dam’s storage capacity and operational lifespan .If erosion continues unchecked, GERD’s effectiveness as a reservoir will diminish.
Since the GERD began construction in 2011, the government has been mobilizing community-based participatory watershed protection programs, involving locals in environmental protection to reduce siltation.
GERD was designed with capacity to trap up to 100 years of sediment inflow. However, rapid land degradation and higher-than-anticipated sediment yields may jeopardize this design assumption Thus, watershed management interventions remain critical for preserving the dam’s longevity.
It is very important to build the capacity of the region to be able to organize a regional committee on sustainable development around GERD with the support from the federal government.
Strong public-private partnership on investments in resort areas, hotels and other recreational facilities that maintain global standards must be maintained.
Ethiopia has already taken a concrete step toward a smart infrastructure model by launching Africa’s first all-optical government office at the GERD site, developed in partnership with ZTE and Ethio Telecom. This smart setup features a fully integrated fiber-optic network–including gigabit coverage, IP telephony, surveillance, and remote.
The Ethiopian government recently launched a nationwide smart city transformation initiative, targeting 275 towns by 2024/25 and potentially extending to over 2,500 towns by 2026. The initial phase includes cities like Addis Ababa, Adama, Bishoftu, Dessie, Jimma, Hawassa, and Bahir Dar. The initiative aims to enhance urban life through e-services, public transportation, green spaces, and overall sustainability.
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Apart from the general security network around GERD, it is very important to develop and operate community based security system in which the local people play their own specific roles.
Moreover, on arranging visit packages for incoming tourists, it would be useful to let them visit GERD and its environs to elongate their visits into Ethiopia.
Developing strong marketing and promotion websites and information packages to introduce GERD could help to increase the influx of more tourists to Ethiopia. GERD could be used as a tool for promoting peace and stability in the Horn of Africa by supplying clean hydroelectric power to the countries of the region as well as the entire East Africa.
GERD is about national image promotion, visibility and assertiveness that was denied by colonial treaties. It demonstrates that gone are the days in which any country could underestimate this country.
GERD is already helping to change the face of urban centers in Benishanguel Gumuz Region. Tourists will not visit GERD only for site seeing but would also be interested in scientific researches on various natural varsities in the region.
Apart from GERD, there are Wildlife & Eco-Tourism Potential in Benishangul-Gumuz which includes protected areas with Biodiversity such as Didessa National Park – Located in the Didessa River valley (Kamashi Zone), this park spans about 1,300 km² and features vibrant forests, waterfalls, and escarpments. It’s home to species such as baboons, warthogs, bushbuck, and even the Ethiopian wolf. Mao-Komo National Park – Covering around 2,330 km², this area was established to safeguard diverse habitats– savannas, woodlands, and river valleys– supporting a mosaic of flora and fauna. While wildlife is still vulnerable from threats like poaching and habitat loss, the park holds significant potential for eco-tourism and sustainable conservation practices.
Alatish National Park – Established in 2006 and covering around 2,665 km², this park hosts mixed forests, wetlands, and grassy hills. It’s notable for wildlife such as elephants, leopards, greater and lesser kudu, and even a previously undocumented lion population (~200 individuals), plus various reptiles including pythons and venomous snakes.
Untapped Local Ecotourism & Community Areas like Haro Aba Diko Controlled Hunting Area could be very attractive for tourists.
