Festival tourism is a niche segment of the travel industry that involves traveling to various destinations to experience cultural, musical, religious, or other types of festivals, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). This form of tourism has gained popularity in recent years as more travelers seek unique and authentic experiences that go beyond traditional sightseeing.
Accordingly, there are numerous types of festivals that attract festival tourists from around the world. Some of the most popular festival categories include; cultural festivals, music festivals, religious festivals, food and drink festivals, as well as art and film festivals.
Thus, festival tourism offers a unique and enriching travel experience for those seeking to explore the cultural, artistic, and culinary traditions of different destinations. By participating in festivals around the world, travelers can gain a deeper appreciation for the diversity of human expression and create lasting memories that will stay with them for a lifetime.
Recently, the Government Communication Service announced that religious and cultural festivals celebrated across the country since the middle of last August have created a great potential for the growing tourists inflow to the country.
Accordingly, preparations are underway to host several international and continental conferences in this month.
Minister of State for Government Communication Service Selamawit Kassa recalled that since the middle of last August, various religious and cultural festivals have been celebrated throughout the country.
She also mentioned that the festivals have created new insights to promote the tourism sector and witnessed the country’s great tourism potentials.
She said that the festivals not only promote the potential cultural and religious values of a country, but also create a great potential to introduce the community’s lifestyle to the international community in a different way.
She also stated that the festivals significantly contributed towards strengthening the unity of the people and promotes the national unity.
On the other hand, the country is preparing to host several international and continental conferences in October.
What is more, the World without Hunger Conference will be held from 5 to 7 November, 2024 by participating numerous sector actors and pertinent stakeholders across the world.
The World without Hunger Conference will be held on November 5-7, 2024 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, co-organized by UNIDO, the African Union Commission (AUC), and the Government of Ethiopia, with technical assistance of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
On this conference, more than 1,500 guests from different countries of the world are expected to participate, she noted.
At the conference, Ethiopia will share its experience in food self-sufficiency in the past six years, especially in summer wheat, cooperative farming and Green Legacy Initiative.
The first African Defense Ministers’ Conference, focused on regional peace and security issues, was held at the Adwa Memorial Museum in Addis Ababa.
In addition, the Executive Committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced that the upcoming CAF General Assembly to be held in Addis Ababa. The conference is of great significance in connection with Ethiopia’s plans to host the next African Cup of Nations.
Meanwhile, the Ethiopian Immigration and Citizenship Service has reported that in the last three months, 259,705 visitors were granted visas to enter Ethiopia.
In a performance report issued today, Director General Selamawit Dawit detailed the achievements of the third quarter of the 2017 Ethiopian fiscal year.
During this period, the Service successfully issued entry visas for a variety of purposes, facilitating the movement of over 1.1 million travelers into and out of Ethiopia via both air and land routes.
This number represents a substantial increase compared to the same timeframe last year, highlighting a promising trend in the influx of visitors to Ethiopia.
Selamawit attributed the rise primarily to the increasing number of travelers arriving in Addis Ababa.
“We have issued 259,705 visas over the past three months,” Selamawit stated, emphasizing that this marks a notable growth from the previous year’s figures. The data indicates a continual rise in the number of travelers to Addis Ababa, with 559,848 passengers arriving through Bole International Airport and 581,704 travelers departing during the same period.
In total, the Service processed over 1.1 million passengers in just three months. Additionally, 478,000 passport booklets were imported during this time, with 367,000 distributed to citizens.
The online passport registration system is now efficiently processing more than 7,000 applications daily, while the e-Visa service continues to operate smoothly.
The report also announced that starting in the upcoming January, e-passport services will officially commence, with all necessary preparations already completed.
“We have initiated the trial phase for e-passports, and by January, we aim for a full launch of the service, marking a significant milestone in enhancing the passport issuance process,” said the Director General.
She also addressed ongoing efforts to tackle recurring service delivery challenges. A series of reforms and improvements have been implemented to enhance service quality, including the restructuring of the immigration system and revisions to immigration laws aimed at introducing significant changes.
Furthermore, the Service revealed that passports for citizens aged 25 and older will soon have a validity period of 10 years, in accordance with the organization’s new operational guidelines.
“The passport service we provide to individuals over the age of 25 will have a validity period of 10 years. This will reduce the number of people who need to renew their passports simply because their time has expired without much use. It will also reduce the associated costs, which is why we believe it will solve many issues.”
BY TEWODROS KASSA
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 18 OCTOBER 2024
