Chinedu Eze

One of the countries in the world that took advantage of its history, artefacts, monuments and royal tombs to develop well-structured tourism industry is Egypt. Arguably, Egypt remains number one tourism destination in Africa.

But while tourists from all parts of the globe travel to Egypt, Ethiopia has equally grand historical sites, monuments and other beckoning structures that are awe-inspiring. But it woke up late to take advantage of the invaluable resources in tourism, long after Egypt, but it is quickly catching up.

It is often said that Ethiopia is unique for being the only African nation to avoid European colonization. It is also the origin of coffee. It has its own unique 13-month calendar, thought to be the real calendar before the Romans tampered with it (the Roman calendar evolved into the modern calendar system through the introduction of the Julian calendar by Julius Caesar in 46 BC); and Ethiopia has a distinct alphabet. It is also the birthplace of humanity, home to the longest active lava lake and the lowest point in Africa (the Danakil Depression), and claims to possess the Ark of the Covenant. 

Ethiopia’s national carrier, Ethiopian Airlines may also be unique in the sense that it remains the only airline that was profitable, relying more on aeronautical revenue sources, before it established the Ethiopian Holidays to sustain its tourism, projected to be the future money maker that will boost its GDP in few years’ time.

THISDAY spoke with Ethiopian Airlines Area Manager, Nigeria, Mrs. Firiehiwot Mekonnen, who explained that Ethiopian Holidays is the tourism wing of Ethiopian Airlines, which promotes Ethiopia as a tourist and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) destination. She said that the Ethiopian government is very intentional about the development of tourism in the East African country.

This follows the rapid transformation of the capital city, Addis Ababa, the rejuvenation of tourism sites all over the country and the provision of hospitality facilities and infrastructure to make the country a memorable host to foreigners and also to make travellers drop in Addis Ababa and spend one or two days before continuing their journey to their final destinations.

Mekonnen said Ethiopia is the new destination in Africa, “To be honest, Ethiopia, has a lot to offer the world when it comes to tourism. But it has never had that attention it should have until the present government came in. So, the current Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Dr. Abiy Ahmed, has given due attention to tourism. Tourism has become a key sector in Ethiopia. It is one of the pillars of the Ethiopian economy,” she said. Mekonnen said the Prime Minister has transformed the country.

“What he did is like the transformation of the country. Each and every touch he made points to the development of tourism destination, including the ones which used to be very popular when it comes to tourism. So, the first thing that he did is to encourage travellers to have very good experience of Ethiopia as transit passengers. Then he went ahead and built different ecologies in different parts of Ethiopia. These ecologies are also part of the things that promote Ethiopia as eco-friendly country in the world,” she said. 

The East Africa nation has historic political sites, including Fasil Ghebbi, a walled city that housed emperors and government from the 16th to 19th centuries, Lalibela an important political center during the Zagwe Dynasty (11th-12th centuries), Axum home to ancient obelisks and a former capital, and the Jugol fortified walls of Hara, a historic city known for its peaceful coexistence. Modern Addis Ababa is also a significant political centre

Ethiopia is also reputable for its historical Christian sites. Ethiopia’s most prominent Christian historical sites include the 13th-century Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela, the ancient religious and trading center of Aksum, the magnificent Gondar Castles, and the sacred monasteries around Lake Tana. Other significant sites are the mountain-top Abuna Yemata Guh Church, the historic Debre Damo Monastery, and the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Addis Ababa.

It is also said that the Kingdom of Aksum in Ethiopia was the first foreign country to accept Islam when it was unknown in most parts of the world. Key Muslim historical sites in Ethiopia include Harar, a fortified ancient city and the “Mecca of Africa” with numerous mosques and shrines; Negash, home to the tombs of King An-Najashi and companions who sought refuge there; and the Sof Omar Caves, a sacred site connected to a 11th-century saint. These locations offer significant insight into the deep Islamic heritage of Ethiopia, which dates back to the early years of Islam.

Tourism experts say that tourism flies on the wing of national airlines and Ethiopian Airlines is a pivot for the development of tourism in Ethiopia.

The Ethiopian Airlines Area Manager, Nigeria said Ethiopia is investing a lot in building infrastructure that will foster tourism in terms of roads, hospitality facilities, eco-lodges.

“We are also working on sustainability, that is why we are using more eco-friendly lodges in different parts of Ethiopia.  Ethiopia is rich in culture, it has a really big history. We have events that attract a lot of people, millions of people annually. A lot of people from all over the world. We have Timket (Epiphany), Meskel and Enkutatash.

“So, throughout the year, if you count it, there are a lot of events that are happening in Ethiopia that attracts a lot of tourists all over the world, depending on their choice, be it religion, culture, or sports, even music, we have different types of events,” she said.

Travel expert and organiser of Akwaaba African Travel Market, Ambassador Ikechi Uko, told THISDAY that Ethiopia flies to over 100 destinations in the world. If it brings 10 passengers in every flight to stop at Addis Ababa and visit the country for few days, it will boost the tourism industry in a tremendous way.

Ambassador Uko advised that Ethiopia should make their visa more flexible and accessible, like its neighbour, Kenya; noting that if this is done, Ethiopia will become the most travelled African tourism destination because the country has everything: culture, history and beautiful landscape.

He said that tourists can, in one fell swoop, travel to Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Tanzania as full bouquet and have the ultimate travel experience, from safari to history, waterfalls, wild life and beautiful culture.

“Ethiopia needs to open up its visa; just as Kenya did, to attract tourists from Africa and beyond. People will like to come to Ethiopia and sample the product it has. There is so much to see in Ethiopia,” he said.

Africans are now developing interest in their continent. For example, many Nigerians who used to travel to Europe, United Sates and other places outside Africa, now travel to different countries in Africa to enjoy their unique tourism offerings and surprising attractions that were hitherto unknown to many.

So, Ethiopia is poised to maximise the use of Ethiopian Airlines to exploit the opportunity of developing its tourism sector. The airline is growing too. It has expanded its maintenance facility, which has remained unrivalled in the continent. It services and overhauls all commercial aircraft types, including Boeing and Airbus, from single aisle to large body aircraft.

The airline is expanding its airport infrastructure to meet its ever-increasing passenger traffic. In 2024, the airline processed over 17.1 million passengers and this is what has prompted it to build a new $10 billion airport at Bishoftu scheduled to be completed in November 2029.

With the increasing number of travellers passing through Ethiopia, it is highly expected that the country will overtake other countries in Africa as the highest tourism destination in the shortest possible time.

If Africans can travel across the countries of the continent as tourists, money will be circulating among African nations. This will boost the economy of the region and create more jobs.

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