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As a result of major political reforms and relaxed visa rules, Ethiopia has become a destination and hub for long-haul transfers in sub-Saharan Africa in 2018.
Data from ForwardKeys travel intelligence agency shows that Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa has overtaken Dubai as the region's first gateway to the region. Thus, travel bookings between November 2018 and January 2019 are expected to grow by more than 40% on the basis of year – on – year growth, far ahead of other African destinations and a surge of significant compared to the growth forecast from January to October 2018. Ethiopia was only 12.2%.
This increase is largely attributable to Ethiopian Airlines (ET), which dominated the skies of Africa over the last decade. Through a combination of strategic investments and partnerships, airline acquisitions and efficient service delivery, the public carrier has revitalized air travel across the continent.
The airline has relaunched former African airlines, including Zambia, has partnered with airlines in Chad and Mozambique, has opened platforms in Malawi and Togo, and serves more than 60 destinations in Africa. . Tewolde Gabremariam, head of the airline, did not hide her pan-African strategy, suggesting that Ethiopian Airlines should be the common property of African governments.
To improve customer service, the airline is currently implementing Vision 2025, a plan to improve passenger and cargo transportation, expand airport services and develop its aviation academy. He also launched a $ 345 million China-funded expansion plan at Bole Airport in Addis Ababa, which is expected to increase annual passenger capacity from 7 million to 22 million.
The rise of Bole and Ethiopian airports could also mean more direct transatlantic flights from North America with Addis Ababa as the first leg, rather than London, Paris or Frankfurt.
Ethiopian Airlines has also acted as an emblem of peace in this period of mutations in the Horn of Africa sub-region, serving Asmara (Eritrea) for the first time this century in July and resuming its flights to destination of Mogadishu (Somalia) this month, for the first time in 41 years.
As part of the new reforms, Ethiopia also began issuing electronic visas to all visitors in June and, in November, introduced arrival visas for all African visitors. ForwardKeys said these relaxed visa regimes were essential for airlines and African countries to attract more international travelers. A typical example is the way liberalized visa applications in Morocco and Tunisia have attracted a significant number of Chinese tourists in recent years, attracting the largest tourism spenders in the world on the African coast.
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