*4.2.4 Built cultural resources*

Attractions other than *fiche cambalala* festival, the Hanafa-Cultural village and Sidama traditional house stand at varying levels of market readiness stage as perceived by tourists. Among these are built resources which include Sidama Cultural Centre and Gudumale Park. Sidama Cultural Centre boasts resources in similar standings with Hanafa cultural tourist village; and exhibits collection of traditional costumes, cultural and historical ornaments. Currently the center serves as a mini-museum of Sidama. It lies on a huge park featuring statues of the zone's heroes who lost their lives fighting for independence and freedom from ethnic oppression. The center also has an exhibition and bazaar staging corridor and a meeting hall decorated by paintings reflecting Sidama cultural clothes and other traditional riches [20]. The Centre does not match a minimum cultural tourist product state of

market readiness as perceived by the tourists. An arithmetic mean value of 2.33 is a good indication here. Another tangible attraction belonging to this category is the Gudumale Park. An extensive park at the north-western shore of Lake Hawassa, Gudumale is the main venue of event staging for *fiche cambalala* festival [20]. It is also fenced with colorful walls and colons which demonstrate the different jewelries worn by girls, boys and the elderly in Sidama. Gudumale Park often hosts largescale religious and sporting gatherings [21]. However, with a mean score of 1.47, it is rated not ready for market to be consumed as a cultural tourism product.

#### *4.2.5 Countryside cultural resources*

This category of resources includes traditional music and dancing; cultural foods and drinks; and traditional dresses. As product development and marketing normally go hand-in-hand, poor efforts exerted from development stage appear to hamper the amount and volume of marketing works in Sidama [21] and hence the result is poorly marketed countryside resources. Traditional music for example falls among these poorly marketed components. Despite a considerable growth and spread in the volume of production and promotion of authentic music in Ethiopia in general and Southern Ethiopia in particular [21], their packaging does not match the current demands of cultural tourists. Traditional dances (3.04), which are often performed and presented in *fiche cambalala* festival and other cultural events, seem to be at better market readiness than the music (1.54). This could be due to the participatory nature of dancing activities and their role in helping tourists get immersed in the culture being visited [39]. Other resources under this category include traditional foods and drinks which are served mostly in traditional restaurants in Hawassa and the surrounding towns. While dishes like *Bursame*, *Chukame* and *Omolcho,* all products of *enset* (false banana leaf common in Southern Ethiopia), are widely available in restaurants in Hawassa, traditional drinks are seldom served in bars. The short length of stay coupled with absence of tour packages involving cultural nights led to this modest level market readiness of traditional foods and drinks, which are rated with 3.11 mean score. Cultural dresses and other souvenirs do not make up a major part of tourist itinerary in Sidama, and mean value of 1.79 shows their market readiness as a tourism product is far below tourists' expectation. The presentation and perception of cultural clothes and souvenirs as icons of culture in developed destinations [33], is not a case in Sidama.

#### *4.2.6 Intangible cultural resources*

Turning the discussion to the intangibles category, we find Sidama languages, arts and literature, which normally draw attention of learning-minded tourists [33]. These attractions, which are very difficult to measure and quantify [25], are regularly presented in Annual Sidama Cultural Symposium held every year in Hawassa. This resource appears to be of modest market readiness stage as a cultural tourism product with a mean value of 3.03.

Rural life style and cultural ceremonies are also among attractions at low market readiness state as cultural tourism products. Because trips to poorly marketed destinations in developing countries often avoid deep authentic experience of local and aboriginal communities [33], tourists end up getting only superficial holiday experience and hence their knowledge of rural life and other life ceremonies is limited [25]. In slight contrary to this result, brushing of *enset*, which is common and day-to-day household activity in southern Ethiopia, has a mean score of 3.71 and is in relatively better state of market readiness. Because cultural tourists demand blended products, they seek to experience demonstrations of traditional life style

**329**

**Table 3.**

*Cultural tourists to Sidama.*

dancing.

*Marketing Cultural Resources as a Tourism Product DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.93869*

**4.3 Cultural tourists to Sidama: profile**

having deep cultural experience

shallow cultural experience

cultural experience in Sidama

experience in Sidama

experience at all in Sidama

tourist are portrayed in the second section (see **Table 3**).

Visiting Sidama cultural resources is my primary trip purpose; and I ended up

Though culture was not my primary reason of visiting, I ended up having deep

culture was not my primary reason of visiting; and I only had shallow cultural

Culture was not my primary reason of visiting; and I did not visit any culture related

Visiting Sidama cultural resources is my primary trip purpose; yet I ended up having

by visiting lodges and eco-lodges, which present commercialized versions rural life. For example market readiness state of eco-lodges found in Sidama, has a mean score of 2.99, reflecting a moderate tourist perception and impression. Lodges like Aregash Lodge and Blen Lodge, found around Yirgalem town, attract a reasonable share of cultural tourists to Sidama. In a similar accord, cultural ceremonies like weddings, funerals and rituals remain at poor market readiness level, with a mean score of 1.32. these ceremonies, which are often left out of tourist itineraries and are often organized to be presented to and performed before tourists, are thought lead to commercialization and acculturation of authentic traditions of societies [19]. To conclude, the majority cultural tourism attractions of Sidama are found at low level of market readiness state to be consumed by tourists as cultural products. Though few attractions including *fiche cambalala*, cultural icon of Sidama; Hanafa cultural tourist village; and *enset* brushing have relatively better score of market readiness, they merely constitute one-third of the areas' tourist appeal. Most attractions ranging from rural life to cultural ceremonies; from music to rural lifestyle and traditional ceremonies; from cultural centers and parks to clothes and souvenirs all exist in poor state of market readiness. In between these two extremes lie moderately marketed attractions like cultural foods and drinks, and Sidama

The profile of cultural tourists was analyzed out of a survey which was mainly adopted from cultural tourist typologies model developed by [23]. To suit it into the context of Sidama as a cultural tourist destination, few variables related to visitor attributes were also incorporated. The first part of tourist profile presents the proportion of each cultural tourist component while visitor attributes as a cultural

**Trip purpose and depth of experience (%)**

Total 100 **Attributes of visitors as a cultural tourist Mentioned by (%)** Consider myself as being on culture holiday (while coming to Sidama area) 35.43 Tasted/had Sidama cultural food at traditional restaurants or somewhere 32.45 Tasted/had Sidama cultural drinks at traditional restaurants or somewhere 43.04 Learned few Sidama language words/phrases out of my trip 17.88 Took part in *fiche cambalala* festival 44.70

15.23

22.51

3.97

33.77

24.50

#### *Marketing Cultural Resources as a Tourism Product DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.93869*

*Tourism*

*4.2.5 Countryside cultural resources*

*4.2.6 Intangible cultural resources*

product with a mean value of 3.03.

market readiness as perceived by the tourists. An arithmetic mean value of 2.33 is a good indication here. Another tangible attraction belonging to this category is the Gudumale Park. An extensive park at the north-western shore of Lake Hawassa, Gudumale is the main venue of event staging for *fiche cambalala* festival [20]. It is also fenced with colorful walls and colons which demonstrate the different jewelries worn by girls, boys and the elderly in Sidama. Gudumale Park often hosts largescale religious and sporting gatherings [21]. However, with a mean score of 1.47, it is

This category of resources includes traditional music and dancing; cultural foods and drinks; and traditional dresses. As product development and marketing normally go hand-in-hand, poor efforts exerted from development stage appear to hamper the amount and volume of marketing works in Sidama [21] and hence the result is poorly marketed countryside resources. Traditional music for example falls among these poorly marketed components. Despite a considerable growth and spread in the volume of production and promotion of authentic music in Ethiopia in general and Southern Ethiopia in particular [21], their packaging does not match the current demands of cultural tourists. Traditional dances (3.04), which are often performed and presented in *fiche cambalala* festival and other cultural events, seem to be at better market readiness than the music (1.54). This could be due to the participatory nature of dancing activities and their role in helping tourists get immersed in the culture being visited [39]. Other resources under this category include traditional foods and drinks which are served mostly in traditional restaurants in Hawassa and the surrounding towns. While dishes like *Bursame*, *Chukame* and *Omolcho,* all products of *enset* (false banana leaf common in Southern Ethiopia), are widely available in restaurants in Hawassa, traditional drinks are seldom served in bars. The short length of stay coupled with absence of tour packages involving cultural nights led to this modest level market readiness of traditional foods and drinks, which are rated with 3.11 mean score. Cultural dresses and other souvenirs do not make up a major part of tourist itinerary in Sidama, and mean value of 1.79 shows their market readiness as a tourism product is far below tourists' expectation. The presentation and perception of cultural clothes and souvenirs as

rated not ready for market to be consumed as a cultural tourism product.

icons of culture in developed destinations [33], is not a case in Sidama.

Turning the discussion to the intangibles category, we find Sidama languages, arts and literature, which normally draw attention of learning-minded tourists [33]. These attractions, which are very difficult to measure and quantify [25], are regularly presented in Annual Sidama Cultural Symposium held every year in Hawassa. This resource appears to be of modest market readiness stage as a cultural tourism

Rural life style and cultural ceremonies are also among attractions at low market

readiness state as cultural tourism products. Because trips to poorly marketed destinations in developing countries often avoid deep authentic experience of local and aboriginal communities [33], tourists end up getting only superficial holiday experience and hence their knowledge of rural life and other life ceremonies is limited [25]. In slight contrary to this result, brushing of *enset*, which is common and day-to-day household activity in southern Ethiopia, has a mean score of 3.71 and is in relatively better state of market readiness. Because cultural tourists demand blended products, they seek to experience demonstrations of traditional life style

**328**

by visiting lodges and eco-lodges, which present commercialized versions rural life. For example market readiness state of eco-lodges found in Sidama, has a mean score of 2.99, reflecting a moderate tourist perception and impression. Lodges like Aregash Lodge and Blen Lodge, found around Yirgalem town, attract a reasonable share of cultural tourists to Sidama. In a similar accord, cultural ceremonies like weddings, funerals and rituals remain at poor market readiness level, with a mean score of 1.32. these ceremonies, which are often left out of tourist itineraries and are often organized to be presented to and performed before tourists, are thought lead to commercialization and acculturation of authentic traditions of societies [19].

To conclude, the majority cultural tourism attractions of Sidama are found at low level of market readiness state to be consumed by tourists as cultural products. Though few attractions including *fiche cambalala*, cultural icon of Sidama; Hanafa cultural tourist village; and *enset* brushing have relatively better score of market readiness, they merely constitute one-third of the areas' tourist appeal. Most attractions ranging from rural life to cultural ceremonies; from music to rural lifestyle and traditional ceremonies; from cultural centers and parks to clothes and souvenirs all exist in poor state of market readiness. In between these two extremes lie moderately marketed attractions like cultural foods and drinks, and Sidama dancing.
