Ethiopia’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism has announced that it is seeking to boost Chinese tourism in the country. This comes after Ethiopia recorded more than 37 million USD in revenues from Chinese tourists during 2020; a surprising figure considering that the country’s tourism sector has been struggling since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in Wuhan (China).
China is the second largest contributor of tourists to Ethiopia, second only to the United States of America. In 2020 Ethiopia had more than 9,925 Chinese visitors. Many of these tourists visited Ethiopia as conference attendees or as business trips with a smaller portion being leisure visitors.
Ethiopia’s Ambassador to China, Teshome Toga, recently told members of the press that Ethiopia is working with Chinese tour operators to promote the country as a viable destination for Chinese citizens looking to travel abroad.
Ambassador Toga also noted the role that Ethiopian Airlines, the only African carrier that travels to five Chinese destinations, can play in boosting the strong relationship the two countries have and attracting more visitors to Ethiopia.
Experts including the Ambassador also expect increased Chinese investment in Ethiopia to contribute to an increase in Chinese tourists, especially since many of the tourist attractions being constructed are being undertaken by Chinese companies.