Coffee & tourism history
Toursim History
Ethiopian tourism had started in the 1960s, however declined again greatly during the later 1970s and the 1980s
A regime of terror, torture, imprisonment and executions preceded by a severe bout of famine attracted international media and affected not only the tourism sector in particular but the economy in general.
It’s never easy to forget those tragic images still existing in the minds of many. However, recovery began in the 1990s with the downfall of the Dergue regime. Since then, Ethiopia has in a decade and a half metamorphosed to achieve double-digit economic growth, quadrupled its GDP per capita, increased life expectancy by 12 years and reduced poverty by half.
The incumbent government has embarked on a program of economic reform, including privatization of state enterprises and rationalization of government regulations, which attracted much needed foreign investment for the different economic sectors of the country, including tourism. Having identified major constraints relating to visa, customs and banking regulations, the government has taken liberalizing steps, instrumental to facilitate tourism and trade.
Today, Ethiopia is one of the fastest growing nations in tourism and is building up its image with a 10% annual tourist flow increase.
A lot of reasons could be attributed to this continued growth. Definitely security comes first. There are ongoing conflicts in many African countries, surprisingly, Ethiopia has remained stable and peaceful for the last 15 years, turning the country slowly again into a preferred destination.
The progress made in other sectors of the economy has also contributed to the overall advancement of the tourism sector. Ethiopia’s infrastructure spending, as a percentage of the GDP, is the highest in Africa and the stock of hotel rooms has increased sharply over the last few years. While quality accommodation is now available at the major attraction sites, improvement and new construction continues to take place at enormous speed throughout the country
Coffee love
Coffee is said to have its origins in Ethiopia and is the favorite drink of many Ethiopians. It is drunk in a unique and traditional way, the coffee ceremony. The coffee beans are roasted over charcoal then ground and placed in a jebena (coffee pot) with boiling water. When ready it is served in small cups, up to three per ceremony. The first cup is called Abool, the second Tona, and the third Bereka. This is a social ceremony and lasts at least for half an hour.
The story of coffee has its beginnings in Ethiopia, the original home of the coffee plant; coffee Arabica, which still grows wild in the forest of the highlands. While nobody is sure exactly how coffee was originally discovered as a beverage, it is believed that its cultivation and use began as early as the 9th century. Some authorities claim that it was cultivated in the Yemen earlier, around AD 575. The only thing that seems certain is that it originated in Ethiopia, from where it traveled to the Yemen about 600 years ago; from Arabia it began its journey around the world.
Among the many legends that have developed concerning the origin of coffee, one of the most popular accounts is that of Kaldi, an Abyssinian goatherd, who lived around AD 850. One day he observed his goats behaving in abnormally exuberant manner, skipping, rearing on their hind legs and bleating loudly. He noticed they were eating the bright red berries thatt grew on the green bushes nearby. Kaldi tried a few himself, and soon felt a novel sense of elation. He filled his pockets with the berries and ran home to announce his discovery to his wife. They are heaven-sent, she declared. You must take them to the Monks in the monastery.
Kaldi presented the chief Monk with a handful of berries and related his discovery of their miraculous effect exclaimed the monk, and hurled the berries in the fire. Within minutes the monastery filled with the heavenly aroma of roasting beans, and the other monks gathered to investigate. The beans were raked from the fire and crushed to extinguish the embers. The Monk ordered the grains to be placed in the ewer and covered with hot water to preserve their goodness. That night the monks sat up drinking the rich and fragrant brew, and from that day vowed they would drink it daily to keep them awake during their long, nocturnal devotions.
While the legends attempt to condense the discovery of coffee and its development as a beverage into one story, it is believed that the monks of Ethiopia may have chewed on the berries as a stimulant for centuries before it was brewed as a hot drink
