ADDIS ABABA – The newly launched e-visa and visa-on-arrival technology gives impetus to reviving Ethiopia’s tourism sector, Ministry of Culture and Tourism said.
In an exclusive interview with The Ethiopian Herald Ministry’s Public and International Relations Director Gezahegn Abate said that Ethiopia has done two great things, rendering e visa and visa on arrival, regarding inspiring connectivity with African brothers and sisters as well as other citizens of the globe.
“Here after, it is not a headache for African citizens to enter and visit their second home,” he added. Thus, things are going easier for peoples of the world to visit Ethiopia without any bureaucracy, he added. Recalling the tedious processes required for the issuance prior to the implementation, the Director said that the implementation of technology plays vital role to promote the tourism sector As to him, inflexible and time consuming bureaucratic process was the major challenge tourists faced in the past, but now the country gives utmost attentions to excel tourist services envisaging boosting tourist inflow.
After opening the door [visa on arrival] tourists and conference participants are coming to the country that shows a great exhilaration in the tourism sector, he underlined. “Recently, citizens of Djibouti, Sudan, Somaliland and other countries came to Ethiopia and exchanged views in person about the tourism sector using the visa on arrival opportunity.” Free movement of people, according to him, will be a catalyst to exchange tourism sector experiences and nurture the best one to be competitive in the future.
“The Ministry is working to organize successive and multi participatory continental and international cultural diplomacy conferences targeting cultivating tourism through interconnecting and pacifying of the region.”
It is to be recalled that, Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde Gebremariam disclosed the national carrier will use visa on arrival and e-visa opportunities to further promote its destinations.
“Currently, the Airlines have 59 destinations in the continent”. Ethiopia has started issuing visa on arrival for African citizens as of October 30, 2018. Ethiopia has started issuing visa on arrival for African citizens as of October 30, 2018.
The Ethiopian Herald, December, 2018
BY TEWODROS KASSA
