About the Department tourism

Ethiopia is one of the least developing nations in Africa despite its rich profile of natural and human resources. The government of Ethiopia is strongly determined to unlock this paradox through education in its age old and emerging universities. University of Gondar is one among the universities that have risen to a university level from the previous colleges. The University of Gondar has been well known for producing competent and community oriented professionals for the last 60 years.

Since 2001, the then college of Medical and Health Science has been given due emphasis by the government and has been officially upgraded to university level in June 2004, as part of the Education Sector Development Plan. New faculties have been launched; one of which is the Faculty of Management Science and Economics.

The Faculty of Management Science and Economics was established in 2001, as the first faculty of the new University. During its establishment, the faculty was designed to meet the ever-growing demand for qualified and well-trained manpower in the area of Business Management, Accountancy and Economics.

Considering the countries demand of getting well skilled professionals in diversified fields, the faculty has started a new training in Tourism Management, initiated, coordinated and established by the Netherlands expatriate, Mrs. Annemik, in the academic year 2003-2004. By this, the University of Gondar has become the first university in Ethiopia to launch a Tourism Management degree-program. As the university by itself is located at the heart of tourism centre, in Gondar, Tourism Management is expected to be Centre of Excellence for the University.

 The Centre for Tourism Studies has found a unique place in the spectrum of Tourism education, research, training and consultancy across Ethiopia. The Department has been doing a commendable work in imparting value added and innovative tourism, travel and hospitality subjects in Degree level.

After closely analyzing the status of tourism in Ethiopia and its development it has been understood that, there is a great deal of demand for the masters program in tourism in the professional world. Considering the need, the department started a master’s program in Tourism and Heritage Management in the academic year 2010/2011.

This masters program in tourism and heritage management has been designed to meet the demands of the middle and senior level managerial positions in some of the multinational travel, tourism and hospitality companies across the country. Some of them are entrepreneurs, educators and researchers.

The Master’s program aims to provide students from a range of backgrounds, with an advanced critical understanding of the interrelationships between Tourism, Heritage, Environment, Development and Management with special reference to the distinctive political, social and economic environments.

To pursue its aim transforming the department to institute level, in 2011/2012 academic year, the department added a new BA degree program in Hotel Management program, which is now independently functioning as one of the departments in College of Business and Economics. The three-year degree hotel Management program is aimed at equipping students with all the due knowledge and skills of Management as applied to the contexts of Food and Beverage Preparation Management, Food and Beverage Service Management, and Front Office Management, Housekeeping Management, Tourism and business studies.

In 2011/12 due to its overall outstanding performance, the University of Gondar recognized the department as best department of the year. Currently, the department is running as one department under the college of Business and Economics with BA degree in Tourism Management and Master’s in Tourism Management.

In January 2021, the department has launched a PhD program in Tourism and Heritage management.