In a bid to encourage tourism in the country, Ethiopian Airlines, the nation’s flag carrier, has cut fares for inbound flights by 40 per cent, says its
Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Tewolde Gebremariam.
Speaking at a media conference organized in collaboration with the Ethiopian Tour Operators Associations and Ethiopian Hotels Association in Addis Ababa last week, Tewolde said the challenges facing the Ethiopian tourism sector are competitive pricing, product development and provision of other services.
“Therefore, we have to make sure that global standards of services in transportation, tour guidance, hotel management, among other services, are delivered,” he added.
The present discount in fares was one way in which the airline could contribute to the national economic development, he said, adding that other stakeholders in the tourism sector should also look at things from this angle.
Ethiopian Tourism Organization CEO Solomon Tadesse stated that Ethiopian Airlines had taken the first step, among the various stakeholders, to boost tourism and contribute to the national economic growth.
The move to reduce the fares for inbound passengers would play a pivotal role in increasing the flow of tourists to Ethiopia, he pointed out.
He indicated that even if Ethiopia was one of the best tourist destinations in the world, it had a long way to go in image-building and in providing services of international standards.
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