ETHIOPIA IS THE RISING STAR ON AFRICA’S TOURISM SCENE
(Posted 10th August 2019)
(Pictures courtesy of Ethiopian Tourism / ETO)
For long has Ethiopia, through Ethiopian Airlines, concentrated on flying passengers from across the world, via their main airport Bole International in Addis Ababa, to the rest of Africa. This they did with increasing success as Ethiopian Airlines grew to become Africa’s leading airline in terms of overall scope, destinations, passenger numbers and profitability.
More recently has the airline launched a special package aimed at passengers with long transfer times in Addis Ababa – between 6 and 8 hours – and is offering them a free city tour including a free temporary Visa allowing them the leave the airport.
Only last month did the government effect a change at the helm of Ethiopia Tourism with the aim to drive tourism arrivals up and capture a greater share of the international tourism market.
https://atcnews.org/2019/07/31/ethiopia-tourism-gets-a-new-ceo/
https://atcnews.org/2019/04/16/ethiopia-the-rise-of-a-sleeping-giant-in-africa/
Notably was earlier in the year the Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Ato Tewolde GebreMariam appointed to the board of Ethiopia Tourism, injecting his skills and networking reach to give added momentum to the promotion of travel to Ethiopia abroad.
In a series of articles by ATCNews will the top ten domestic tourism destinations – all served by Ethiopian Airlines – be highlighted in coming weeks to help Ethiopia get greater visibility and fill the agreement with Ethiopian authorities with life which has seen Ethiopia made the ATCNews feature country for 2019 and 2020.
Starting next week will the series start with a report about Lalibela, arguably one of the best known historical and cultural attractions in the country, then followed by the other nine of Ethiopia’s top ten domestic travel destinations.
(Picture courtesy of Ethiopa Tourism / ETO)
Ethiopian Airlines flies to over 20 destinations across the country and a visit to Lalibela can be combined with a stayover, or actual vacation, in Ethiopia. Early planning of the travel route can in fact see the domestic ticket to and from Lalibela be included in the international ticket, making it very much more affordable to reach Lalibela.
The availability of e-Visa for foreign visitors makes the formalities to enter Ethiopia ultimately easier and encourages passengers traveling with Ethiopian Airlines to stop over in Addis Ababa or visit some of the country’s main attractions if later on flying beyond the airlines’ main hub at Bole International Airport to their final destination in Africa.
