UNESCO recognition and new infrastructure lift Bale Mountains tourism

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At a Glance

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• UNESCO World Heritage listing has raised global awareness of Bale Mountains National Park.
• Government-backed infrastructure upgrades are improving access and extending visitor stays.
• Rising tourist numbers are boosting park revenue and incomes for local communities.

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Bale Mountains National Park is stepping into the global tourism spotlight, buoyed by a mix of international recognition and long-awaited investment in access and facilities.

Once known mainly among conservationists, the park is now drawing growing attention from foreign travelers and tour operators. 

A key shift came with UNESCO’s decision to add Bale Mountains to its World Heritage list.

The label has raised the park’s profile abroad, placing it alongside some of Africa’s best-known natural sites and lifting interest in Ethiopia’s high-altitude southeast. 

That recognition has coincided with fresh government spending on roads and visitor infrastructure under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

Improved access has made the journey less demanding, helping change Bale from a difficult detour into a practical stop on safari and eco-tourism routes. 

For nearby towns and villages, the result has been a welcome boost. Visitor growth is translating into new jobs, steady cash flow for local groups and a stronger case for conservation tied directly to livelihoods.

From conservation stronghold to global draw 

Covering more than 2,000 square kilometers, Bale Mountains National Park shelters rare species such as the Ethiopian wolf, mountain nyala and Bale monkey.

Long protected for its ecological value, the park is now attracting commercial interest as demand for nature-based travel rises across Africa. 

Park officials say this broader appeal is showing up in the numbers.

The mix of unique wildlife, alpine landscapes and cooler climate has helped Bale stand out in a competitive tourism market.

Visitor numbers and local gains 

According to Shamil Kedir, head of the Bale Mountains National Park Office, the park recorded 3,690 visitors in the first quarter of the current fiscal year, with foreign tourists making up 45 percent.

That represents a year-on-year increase of more than 17 percent. 

Local eco-tourism associations earned about 9 million birr during the period, up from 7 million birr a year earlier.

Park revenue rose to roughly 600,000 birr, a modest figure by global standards but a meaningful lift for a remote region.

Building for longer stays 

Tourism officials say new hotels, eco-lodges and recreation facilities are taking shape in Bale Robe and inside the park.

The goal is to expand bed capacity, create steady employment and encourage visitors to stay longer rather than pass through. 

For African tourism planners, Bale Mountains underscores a simple lesson: pair global recognition with practical access, and growth can follow.

Tying that growth to local income has helped turn rising visitor numbers into shared gains rather than a short-lived windfall.