Cultural and Heritage Conservation Status and its Role for Tourism Development in Wolkite Town, Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

This research emphasized on assessing the conservation status of cultural heritages and its role for tourism development in Wolkite town, southern Ethiopia. Both qualitative and quantitative research approach and descriptive survey was employed. Observation, focus group discussion and interview were used to gather relevant data in the site. Focus group discussion and inter view were designed to 30 respondents selected by using non random sampling method. Docu ments as secondary data was used to examine the current status of the cultural heritages com pared to the former condition. The result of this study revealed that the current status of the her itages is relatively in a good condition. But due to some factors like long time stay of the ethnic group without structured king and globalization the statuses of cultural heritages are seriously degraded. This may requires the direction for better conservation particularly by the concerned body. The residents do not get any benefit from the cultural heritages through tourism industry. This indicates all concerned bodies have to play their role properly in order to promote and maximize the benefit from tourism. In order to improve the conservation status of the cultural heritages, local government bodies should be seriously looks in and supervising infinites herit ages.