borkena
October 26,2018
Ethiopia is to start implementing visa on arrival policy for all Africans starting next week, according to a report published today by state media, Ethiopian News Agency (ENA).
Tewodros Bogale is deputy director of Immigration and Citizenship Affairs Department Head. He told only 37 countries from the world, South Africa is included in this category, used to get the service, he told ENA.
Effective next week, he added, all travelers from all African countries are entitled to African countries are allowed to have visa on arrival service. And the department has finalized the preparation for the service.
Apart from fostering stronger relations, Ethiopian government anticipates that the new visa regime for Africans could have a positive contribution to the growth of the country’s tourism sector.
Hotels (and they are booming in Addis Ababa and its surrounding region) and city transport services are also expected to gain from the new visa on arrival policy.
ENA cited Zemedeneh Negatu, economist and chairman of Fairfax Africa Fund, as saying that visa on arrival policy for Africans will contribute to the growth of tourism.
Assefa Admasse, another economist, also thinks that the new policy will encourage Africans to visit Ethiopia, as cited ENA.
Travelers transiting through Addis Ababa from African countries could now have a chance to visit Ethiopia during the course of their transit time.
Addis Ababa, the seat of the continental organization African Union, with its elaborate museums is poised to benefit from the change too.
It was at the beginning of this month that Ethiopia announced changes to visa regime as part of Africa’s youngest leader, Abiy Ahmed, reform measures in a number of areas.
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