Addis Ababa, January 23, 2023 (FBC) – The Afar Region Culture and Tourism Bureau confirmed that tourism flow, which was dwindling due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the conflict, has recorded imperative resuscitation in the last six months.
Afar Region Culture and Tourism Bureau Head, Ahmed Abdulkadir told Fana Broadcasting Corporate that since tourism is dependent on peace, the flow of tourists slowed down from 2019 to the end of 2022 following the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic and the conflict in northern Ethiopia.
The Official said that the flow of tourists, which hit rock bottom last year, has recorded a significant revival in the last six months.
In the 2021/22 fiscal year, only 48 foreign tourists entered to the region’s tourist attractions. This sums it up how much the conflict has affected tourism compared to the 11,700 tourist flow in 2018, Abdulkadir indicated.
In the current fiscal year, 82,000 local and 662 foreign tourists visited various attractions in the region from July 10, 2022 to January 21, 2023 thanks to the enormous activities that are being carried out to restore the tourism sector and proliferate it even more, according to the Official.
The region’s main tourist destinations for visitors are Dallol, Erta Ale, Afdera Lake, and Alalo Baad Fel.
In the 2021/22 financial year, only 33,600 Birr was earned from 48 foreign visitors to Afar region. However, in the last six months of the current fiscal year, 662,000 birr was earned from 662 foreign tourists, said Abdulkadir, confirming that the average stay of visitors in the region is four days.
In general, the tourism flow in the Afar region has registered an imperative revival compared to the previous years, the Official said.
Recall that the well-known online platform, National Geographic UK, in its Travel and Adventure category of the New Year publication, named the Northern Ethiopia’s desolate Danakil Depression as the first place recommended for Tourists.
Ethiopia’s desolate Danakil Depression is one of the driest, hottest and lowest places on the planet, made up of salt lakes, neon yellow acidic springs, lava lakes and an outsize proportion of Africa’s active volcanoes.
Accordingly, Abdulkadir invited tourists who love adventure not to miss the opportunity to visit Danakal area.