Ethiopia’s rapid reforms under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed appear to be paying dividends in tourism and international travel, with Addis Ababa becoming the new “gateway to Africa.”That’s according to data from industry analysts at Forward Keys, who found an “extraordinary rise” for Ethiopia as a destination and transfer hub into sub-Saharan Africa. “The data shows that Addis Ababa has grown its volume of international transfer passengers to Sub-Saharan Africa five years in a row,” said Olivier Ponti, a vice president of insights speaking at a tourism Africa Leaders Forum in South Africa. That was welcome news to the Ethiopian government, especially Ethiopian Investment Commissioner Fitsum Arega. He returned to the commission earlier this month after a stint as Abiy’s information minister. He credited Abiy’s reforms, airport investment and Ethiopia’s decision to provide visa-on-arrival to all Africans for the travel boost.

Source: Ethiopian News November 30, 2018 18:00 UTC