Investigating the tourism potential of Gafat industrial village: South Gondar Administrative Zone, North Western Ethiopia

Abstract

The objective of the research was to assess the tourism potential of Gafat Industrial Village for tourism development in the South Gondar Administrative Zone. To achieve this objective, a purely qualitative research design was used. It included document analysis, direct observation, interviews, photographs and video data. The investigators used purposive and snowball sampling techniques for 20 informants. The collected data were analyzed using description and interpretation. Based on the result of the research, Gafat Industrial Village has enormous tourism potential for tourism development. Gafat is said to be the first industrial village in Africa, and it was the boarding school of technology for Europeans and Ethiopians and it was the cannon factory of Emperor Tewodros II (the first large cannon, named Sevastopol was produced on this site). The site needs tourism product development with the involvement of all stakeholders, and it requires promotion for users and it also necessitates management with the supervision of concerned professionals for tourism development