Abstract:
Abstract
Heritage and Tourism are invariably closely interlinked. This article describes the Gonderian period
(1508 -1784) bridges, their status and their uses for tourism. It provides insights and information
about the bridges that were constructed in Ethiopia. A qualitative study approach was used which
was descriptive in its research design. Both primary and secondary data were collected through
focus group discussions, interviews, personal observations and document analysis. The targeted
informants for the data collection were local historians, employees working in tourism offices and
bureaux at all levels and various tourist guides selected purposively by means of a snowball
sampling technique. The data was analyzed and presented thematically. It describes eight bridges of
the period and ascertained that they are not yet used for any tourism purpose. All the bridges have a
lack of conservation problem such as artificial maintenance, poor road access leading to heavy
traffic on them, urbanization and development pressure, agricultural expansion, a lack of attention
from the government’s side, a lack of awareness from the local community, documentation
problems, heritage zoning issues (core and buffer zone demarcation) and clear rights of ownership.
The researchers recommend that the bridges should be promoted as tourism and heritage sites and
infrastructure should be developed in order to use the bridges for tourism. Conservation
management plans must be prepared, core and and buffer zones must be delineated and alternative
roads must be constructed. Furthermore it is posited that community awareness must be boosted
with constant training on the importance of heritage as a source of tourism income and of course, for
better maintenance and conservation of the bridges which have great historical value.
