Ethiopia’s Tourism Sector Sees Unprecedented Growth in Nine Months
Addis Ababa: Ethiopia’s tourism sector has experienced unprecedented growth over the past nine months, with significant strides made in both conference tourism and destination development, according to Minister of Tourism Selamawit Kassa.
According to Ethiopian News Agency, tourism has received exceptional attention from the government and key institutions, with a notable surge in international, continental, and regional events hosted in the country, the Minister revealed. She made the remark in her briefings on the performance of the sectors in the first 100 days of the third quarter and the overall macroeconomic performance of the past nine months.
‘We have held more than 60 major conferences during this period, a significant increase compared to the same period last year,’ Selamawit said. She attributed the sector’s momentum to the government’s strategic focus on infrastructure development, enhanced diplomatic engagement, and coordinated institutional support aimed at expanding conference tourism.
‘This growth reflects not just event hosting capacity, but also our success in promoting Ethiopia’s image to visitors from around the world,’ the Minister added. Beyond conference tourism, major developments have taken place in the restoration and expansion of tourism sites, including the Jimma Aba Jifar Palace, Fasil Palace (Fasil Ghebbi), and others.
New destination development initiatives, especially the ‘Dine for the Nation’ and ‘Dine for the Generation’ projects championed by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, have further reinforced the country’s tourism offerings. International promotion efforts are also gaining traction. Ethiopia recently reached an agreement in Prague to promote its image as the ‘Land of Origins’ and actively participated in Berlin’s international tourism event, strengthening B2B ties with European partners.
The Minister also revealed that a policy review is underway to reshape the country’s approach to tourism, with the aim of aligning infrastructure, marketing, and investment strategies with global standards. Highlighting Ethiopia’s global connectivity through Ethiopian Airlines, she emphasized that the national carrier remains a crucial asset in advancing the country’s tourism potential.
Moving forward, the focus will be on further strengthening the infrastructure and promotional efforts already underway to achieve the desired outcomes. Ethiopia’s strategic asset, Ethiopian Airlines-renowned for its extensive connectivity across Africa and to major destinations worldwide-serves as the backbone of the continent’s aviation industry. This advantage should be leveraged to further boost the tourism sector, and collaboration with key stakeholders will be essential, Selamawit noted.