Addis Ababa attracts over 650,000 tourists in past 9 months

Ethiopia‘s capital Addis Ababa has attracted over 650,000 tourists in the first three quarters of the just completed Ethiopian fiscal year, according to Addis Ababa city administration officials.

Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa is known for hosting various international and regional organizations, which include the African Union (AU) headquarters and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UN-ECA).

According to a statement by the Addis Ababa City Administration Culture and Tourism Office on Monday, the city has registered an increase in the number of tourists during the last decade.

The city administration, which had an initial plan to attract 675,000 visitors during the just completed 2016/2017 Ethiopian fiscal year, was able to accomplish over 90 percent of its target by attracting over 650,000 tourists in the first nine months of the year, according to Gebretsadik Hagos, head of Addis Ababa City Administration Culture and Tourism Office.

According to Hagos, with an average of 12 days of stay in the capital, tourists from around the world have frequently visited 13 attraction sites, including the Ethiopian national museum.

Hagos further noted that the city administration has implemented various measures in a bid to augment the number of tourists, including an updated tourist map and other guides.

The Ethiopian National Museum, located at the heart of Addis Ababa, is one major tourist attraction site for the east African country.

The historical and archaeological artifacts collection on show at the Ethiopian national museum is ranked among the most important in sub-Saharan Africa. It is also home to the most famous Lucy, a 3.2 million-year-old human ancestor of the hominid era.

Source: Xinhua