Ethiopia tourism woes: gov't hopes US and UK will lift travel warning soon

With news that Germany has lifted a travel warning to its citizens hoping to visit Ethiopia, authorities in the Horn of Africa nation are hoping that the United States (US) and United Kingdom (UK) will follow suit soon.

Just last week, the BBC’s correspondent in the country, reported that millions of dollars was lost in tourism revenue, citing a tourism ministry’s disclosure that income from the sector had fallen by more than $7m (£5.5m) over the last quarter alone.

Germany on Monday announced the lifting of a travel warning that restricted its citizens from travelling to Ethiopia.

According to Getnet Yigzaw, public relations chief of the Ethiopian Tourism Organization (ETO), the warning was lifted following the return of peace and stability to the country.

The US, UK and other western nations issued travel alerts to their citizens against traveling to Ethiopia in the wake of huge and widening anti-government protest in the Oromia and Amhara regions.

Foreign diplomats in the early days of the six month state of emergency imposed in October were restricted from traveling beyond 40-kilometers radius outside the capital, Addis Ababa. The government lifted that ban last week.

Ethiopia is currently under a Command Post that is administering the nationwide state of emergency. The curfew was imposed to quell anti-government protests that rocked parts of the country.