France Continues Supporting Ethiopian Tourism, Says Ambassador Henok

Addis Ababa August 27/2020 (ENA)France has been providing finance and expertise for the renovation of the Lalibella rock-hewn churches, and continues to support promoting the Ethiopian tourism sector, according to Ethiopia's Ambassador to France.

In an exclusive interview with ENA, Ambassador Henok Tefera said the historical relationship of Ethiopia and France has been bolstered since the coming to power of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

France has, for instance, extended about 100 million Euros in the form of concessional loan and grant over the last two years in order to support the ongoing transition in Ethiopia, he added.

Culture is the other area where the two countries have been cooperating, Ambassador Henok said, adding that the country availed finance and expertise to renovate the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela.

With regard to expertise support, he noted that “France hosts around 90 million tourists per year and they have a lot of experience. Experience sharing and expertise support is important for our hotels and resorts. France is willing to assist us in our efforts to bring more tourists.”

Efforts are underway in terms of attracting tourists from France, the ambassador stated. The embassy wants to bring big French tour operators to the country and is working with global tour operators to include Ethiopia in their packages.

“In terms of promoting Ethiopia, a French Media Group is coming to Ethiopia early 2021. It will not only be showcasing French movies but also producing local Ethiopian films. So it will be a big boost for Ethiopian cultural industry and promote Ethiopian culture and arts globally,” Ambassador Henok pointed out.

It is to be recalled that Ethiopia was recently listed by Forbes.com as one of the seven countries that have the potential to become major tourism destinations and rising stars in travel in the world in Post-COVID-19.