No one can counter-argue in that Ethiopia, the country which should have been amid the top tourist destinations in the globe had unfortunately been labeled by the majority of the international community in general and the westerners in particular in the reverse irrespective of the reach history, culture, civilization, natural and manmade attractions within it. By the way, do these westerners still have the same tendency towards Ethiopia? This reporter has approached some tourists whom he found then visiting various places in the metropolis.
Oyivind Johannessen and Tor Ivarsson are Norwegian tourists, this reporter contacted them while visiting Addis Ababa Museum in group.
Having expressed that Ethiopia is the first African country they were visiting, they told this reporter that the first things that surprised them are the temperature and the lack of noise in Addis. As to them, they had visualized Addis as a warm and noisy city.
Johannessen expressed that Ethiopia that he had imagined and the one which he found it practically on the ground are quite different. The Ethiopia that he had visualized before he came here was an unsafe and more chaotic country.
“But, what I found here is the reverse. I normally go to some European cities on holidays and I feel less secure in some of these cities than I really did here in Addis Ababa, so I think it is very favorable first impression that I like it so much,” he said.
Ivarsson on his part said that he found Ethiopia to be a beautiful country, with beautiful sceneries and a beautiful people. As to him, he is trying to learn some Ethiopian languages to simply interact with these beautiful people. Responding to the question what he would tell to the international community if he was given the chance to say a few words about Ethiopia, he said, “I would tell that you should go and visit Addis Ababa.
It is a big city but quite safe and calm as compared to many European cities,” he signified. The Addis Ababa he had imagined and the one he practically saw on the ground with his eyes are of two extremes, Ivarsson furthered.
“I had expected to be a lot more poverty, a lot more begging and hungry children. But, what I experienced practically is not different from the situation in some European countries such as Spain that the children who ask tourists for various things are not less than here. The other thing that surprised us here in Addis Ababa is the quality of restaurants. As tourists, we have been trying our best to see many more restaurants, but there were no people who could guide us,” he added.
The drink made from honey is the very different and most surprising thing that Ivarsson said Norway has had such a culture thousand years ago, but Ethiopians are here to preserve their history, culture and the whole package, he restated.
As to Johannessen, it was poverty and hunger that used to come to his mind whenever he heard the name Ethiopia before he came here and witnessed the reality with his own eyes. Answering the question why he thought that way, he said, “I was born in the seventies and the eighties, that were my formative years and the hunger crisis during those times was big in the media and that sort is still cemented in my mind. And we did not hear very often about Ethiopia in the last, so that may be the reason that I had no impression to correct it.”
In conclusion, both tourists explained Ethiopia as a productive and healthy country, with a good economy and enormous resources and good potential to develop, as the safe and easy country to travel, a country with low crime and poverty level statistics and fast growing infrastructures.
Johannessen and Ivarsson told this reporter that they, along with their friends have the plan to be back a year after to visit the rest of the country they did not visit due to shortage of time.
Jacek Roman, another polish tourist who stayed in Ethiopia for 12 days, The Ethiopian Herald contacted him while visiting the Martyrs’ Museum in Addis Ababa, explained that it is his first time to come to Africa choosing Ethiopia as his first destination.
Justifying the reason behind his choice, he said that his friends who previously visited Ethiopia told him that Ethiopia is a tourist destination which is quite easy, touristic and safe country with a very friendly people which as to him, made him very curious to come and visit Ethiopia. He said, he would say that Ethiopia is a good country to visit, first of all there are good people here, he said he saw many things to be developed and changed. “The people are hardworking because I see a lot of people working.
I saw that Ethiopia is a developed and prosperous country, this is especially true when it comes to Addis Ababa that it is a big city. This is what I would tell to the international community if I was given the chance to say a few words about Ethiopia,” he said. Adding, “All in all, Ethiopia, as a nation is not yet a developed country but there are signs that it would be developed, there is a construction boom, and the roads are quite nice. I was very surprised to see the high way leading from the southern to the capital which is very nice three line high way.
Another tourist, Bob Collins, a Canadian national who made Ethiopia as his first destination to the African continent which is as to him, a good place to start from, as Ethiopia is the center of Africa.
“The composition of the country and the number of Ethiopians speaking English while I know nothing, even a single word of any Ethiopian language are what surprised me,” he expressed.
Nima Yaghmaei is a Canadian tourist whom this reporter approached while he was visiting the National Museum of Ethiopia. Having said that he has been to Ethiopia many times, he expressed Ethiopia as a safe country for tourists. And this is really a benefit for tourists, he noted. The other worth mentioning factor, as to him is that Ethiopians are very welcoming, they tend to help tourists and that makes a big difference for foreigners and they can really enjoy that, he restated.
Yaghmaei furthered that Ethiopia has relatively good access to various infrastructures and the Ethiopian airlines is what a lot of tourists enjoy the most for it helps them to travel wherever they want. “However, the safety is the biggest positive I think, because a lot of countries in the area are not safe to travel to and other than that Ethiopia is such a big country, it could be ten different countries, so whichever part of Ethiopia you may go, you would have different impressions,” he restated.
He mentioned that he would tell his friends to plan their trip to Ethiopia based on an area they want to visit as the nation is quite big that they cannot do the whole thing at once.
As per Yaghmaei, many tourists assume that they can see Ethiopia in two weeks, but if they come to Eastern Ethiopia, they can spend the whole two weeks there and still see many things.He said, “As a result, I would say there is a lot to see as long as you give the time for it because it is not a country you can quickly go to sights you know, it is not like France or something you just go for one day and switch.”
The honesty of prices is among the special features of Ethiopia as compared to other countries and the respect of the people to tourists is the other worth mentioning attribute, he underscored. As to him, the history of foreigners and Ethiopians is not as much in conflict like some other countries which were under colonialism. Thus, one can experience a lot of respect between Ethiopians and foreigners which is a big plus.
Ethiopians are very accommodating in case tourists want help from them and this is really a nice thing, he restated. “The vast size and diversified nature of the country is among the other unique features that make Ethiopia different, Canada is, for instance a big country but I think a lot of Europeans will be very surprised how big Ethiopia really is and how different places you, Ethiopians have – desserts, dry areas, wet areas and everything else,” he expressed his appreciation.
To be honest, the image Ethiopia has had mostly related to what happened in the seventies and eighties in the country, particularly to the draughts and famines which is not the reality now. So, it is important to make the international media know the truth that this country is growing and becoming prosperous though a lot still remains to be tackled,’ he explained.
Dania, another tourist from Holland, who visited Ethiopia for the first time, on her part expressed that it is really a good surprise for her to be here, in Ethiopia.
She expressed that she really liked it because people are very sociable, nice and beautiful. She explained that there are lots of things to be discovered here in Ethiopia and she is happy for she discovered them. “We always have bad pictures about Ethiopia and other Africans and the Middle East countries. But, it is really good to come here and see things with our eyes. Here, in Ethiopia, People have everything, they have their own unique civilization, their own culture, long history and things are clean inside,” she said.
Herald December 8/2018
BY SHUSHAY ADAME
