Tourism Products and Tourist Satisfaction in Nech Sar National Park, Ethiopia

Abstract

Nech Sar National Park is one of the potential sites for tourism & conservation of wildlife including the endemic and flagship specie. The objective of the study was to investigate the tourism products and tourist satisfaction in the Park. For the better success of the study design that integrates both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Primary & secondary information sources have also been used; the primarily data collection was made using direct observation. Potential tourist attraction site was recorded with Canon digital camera & Garmin 64 GPS based field observations were used. Questionnaires were used to investigate tourist satisfaction in the park. Secondary data were collected from review of relevant different related publications and document reviews. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, MSEXCL programs, QGIS software. According to the finding of the study, majority of tourism products of the park are: Forty springs, God’s bridge, Degabule viewpoint, Chamo view point, Nech Sar Plains, Sermaly River valley, Mountains chains, Ayemero Selassie Cave, Emporer Haile Selassie, Colonial Mengistu Hailemariam, Hot spring & tourism wild animals. Overall tourist satisfaction indicated, majority 84.5 % & 15.5 % visitors were satisfied & highly satisfied, respectively. Visitors source of information were 34.5%, 23.5%, 15%, 14%, 8% & 4.5% from friend, Internet, Tour Operators (Travel agents), written books, Ethiopian airlines & catalogs, respectively. Tourists Tourism product preference 33% Forest admirers, 19% wild animals18.5% Land scenery, 11.5% Trekkers, 10.5% Boat recreations & 7.5% Bird watchers. Infrastructures problems for visitors from 44.3% faced road problems, 21% waste disposal, 10.7% security, 9% Boat trip, & 9% professional local guides. Tourist Flow and income generated status in National Park increasing before the outbreak of covid-19 pandemic virus from 1987-2011 E.C. May - August, 2012 E.C tourist flow and revenue collection was zero, due to the occurrence of the pandemic covid-19 virus. 2014 E.C 800,000 ETB has been collected from National Park visitors that were collected from the entrance fee. Major tourism products problems in the park include grazing plain; illegal fishing two lakes, settlement and illegal farming, natural resource extraction, & Invasive and encroaching Plant Species. The government should promote the National Park & provide appropriate support for its conservation. Keywords: Tourism products, Tourist satisfaction, Tourism animals DOI: 10.7176/JTHS/33-02 Publication date: October 31 st 2022