ADDIS ABABA – The Ministry of Tourism (MoT) has announced that five-star hotels are on the rise in the metropolitan area, marking a significant step toward promoting conference tourism.
The MoT has released the star ratings for 40 hotels, noting that the number of star-rated hotels is increasing over time.
During a press briefing yesterday, MoT’s Tourist Services Quality Assurance and Rating Lead Executive Tariku Demissie stated that out of 92 hotels assessed for star ratings, 40, including 34 existing and six newly established hotels, met the required standards, including compliance with the mandatory fire safety code.
Accordingly, the Ministry ranked 11 as five-star, nine as four-star, seven as three-star, five as two-star, and two as one-star hotels.
In the same context, the MoT also awarded five-star ratings to three newly introduced hotels in the sector. Tariku added that the MoT used 12 main evaluation criteria to determine the ratings. Hotels scoring over 90% were classified as “Star Grand Deluxe.”
Hotels scoring between 89% and 49% were categorized from five-star to one-star, based on their respective scores.
To ensure transparency in the rating process, Tariku stated that various stakeholders, including the Ethiopian Hotel and Tourism Employers Federation, Addis Ababa Hotel Owners Association, Ethiopian Hotels Experts Association, Addis Ababa Tourism and Hotel Experts Association, Tourism Training Institute, and Ethiopian Tourism Experts Association, observed the evaluation process. The MoT continues to take supervisory and inspection measures to support the growth of the tourism industry. As such, the hotel rating and promotion initiative will be extended to other regions of the country to maximize benefits from the hospitality sector, he emphasized.
Tariku noted that promoting standardized hospitality services plays a pivotal role in enhancing international competitiveness, delivering quality service, generating benefits, and boosting conference tourism by encouraging tourists to extend their stay.
He recalled that the hotel rating system began in 2014/15 in collaboration with the World Tourism Organization, during which approximately 365 hotels were evaluated and ranked. According to the Ministry, the current hotel rankings will remain valid for the next three years.
BY MESERET BEHAILU
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 30 MAY 2025
