Solomon Tadesse sais the Ethiopian Tourism Organization and Transformation Council plan to continue fostering the tourism sector and further develop the country as a tourist destination
By Michelle McKelvey (TAC) |
With high-altitude mountain biking, running trails and underground caverns, Ethiopia is aiming to highlight its natural attractions to target adventure travelers in the coming years – more specifically, Millennial adventurers. Solomon Tadesse, CEO of the Ethiopian Tourism Organization (ETO), spoke about the destination’s evolution into a tourist destination at a media event attended by Travel Agent earlier this week.
In 2013, the Ethiopian government established the Transformation Council, Solomon Tadasse said, “and with that they said, ‘ok, tourism needs to be an industry that can support our economic development.'”
In collaboration with the Transformation Council, the ETO has spent the past few years promoting the destination and taking steps to improve the image of Ethiopia before the rest of the world.
Four years later, named one of the Top Ten BEST TO TRAVEL destinations for 2017 by Lonely Planet, Ethiopia’s evolving infrastructure has turned the country into a desirable destination for travelers, Solomon Tadesse said. The coming year will see the creation of new road networks and airline links making the country more accessible than ever before and paving the way for new and returning travelers. Ethiopian Airlines, one of Africa’s leading carriers, recently signed a codeshare agreement with South African Airways. The agreement is anticipated to further enhance the cooperation among the two carriers and offer a range of additional destinations for customers to travel to.
In regards to the market Ethiopia hopes to attract, Solomon said, “out of a hundred million people, 70 percent [of the population] is under 30 years old.” Because of that, Solomon said there is a major drive to get Millennials to Ethiopia.
Read the complete story at Travel Agent Central
——
Other stories:
- Tourist Inflow to Arba Minch Increases, Mayor
- Ethiopia’s Cultural and Tourism Potentials Promoted in Brussels
- Ethiopia: Up in the Mountains with an Impressive Array of Wildlife
- Go to Ethiopia for Ancient History, Jazz, and a Capital City on the Rise
- CornerSun to Host First Ever Ethiopian Travel Workshops in North America