Yonas - Private Guide in Addis Ababa

Languages: Amharic, English

I have been working as a part time tour guide for various tour companies, an instructor in a small tourism college and a travel coordinator for one agency in Addis Ababa as a full time job since June, 2010. I am responsible for arranging travel for Tourists. And I do guiding them from the moment they are in-country till they depart for their home.

Before this job, I used to be a teacher. After graduation in Geography from Addis Ababa University in 2003, I was assigned to be a teacher in one of the remote area of the country by the government. As I was born and raised in Addis Ababa, which is the capital and has a better infrastructure and services, traveling more than 1000 Km from Addis to teach in an area where there is no electricity and clean water was such a challenge for me.I have learned two things from my first job. First, how to sustain ones life with a very difficult situation and second how I was ignorant about the different culture and history my country. The trip I had to my first work was a three day trip by bus and taught me more than what I got from my school!

I taught for seven years in different parts of the country. Then I decided to go to school to study tourism. There, I got what my real soul is and for what purpose am created for!

Graduated being top of my class with a gold medal , I am committed to help my country in the tourism sector.

My goal simply is to have my own tour company. I believe that Ethiopia is a must- to- see destination but the tourism business is at its infancy stage. I want to contribute my part to make Ethiopia one of the top tourism destinations.