Ethiopia’s Travel & Tourism economy grew by 48.6% in 2018, the largest of any country in the world, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) annual review of the economic impact and social importance of the sector released in April 2019.
Ethiopia experienced the highest tourism growth in the world, surpassing the global average growth rate of 3.9% and the African average of 5.6%. The Council stated that during the period, the sector supported 2.2 million jobs and contributed $7.4 billion to Ethiopia’s economy, an increase of $2.2 billion in 2017.
This was driven mainly by international visitor spending, to the country’s improved connectivity as a regional transport hub and to recent visa relaxation policies. The sector now represents 9.4% of Ethiopia’s total economy.
“Ethiopia’s Travel & Tourism boom was one of the great success stories of 2018. It has exceeded our sector’s global and regional comparisons to record the highest level of growth of any country in 2018”, said Gloria Guevara, President & CEO of the World Travel & Tourism Council.
It’s now easier to travel from Belgium to Ethiopia
“We have 7 flights a week from Brussels to Addis-Abeba, Ethiopia’s capital” explains Taye Kenenlissa, Ethiopian Airlines Manager for the Benelux. According to Kenenlissa more and more Belgian tourists choose Ethiopia as a destinations thanks to Ethiopian Airlines daily connections and also due to the e-visa and visa on arrival policy implemented since November 2018. “Our aim is to have Ethiopia as the main African destination for European tourists. In this perpective, an important step forward was undertaken thanks to the implementation of the visa on arrival policy. We understand tourists are a major asset for the development of our economy” he concludes.