In addition to being recognized as the birthplace of humanity, Ethiopia's hottest region, Afar, boasts several captivating tourist attractions such as Awash National Park, Dallol, Erta Ale, Lake Afedera, and Alalo Bad Fel. However, the region’s tourism sector experienced a slow growth over the past three years.

It is now experiencing a revival due to the recovery measures implemented by Afar Regional State’s Tourism Bureau. As part of boosting the tourism sector, the Regional State has established six new tourist destinations, including Lake Erta Ale and Lake Abey. This has increased the total number of tourism sites in the state to 16, which has had a positive impact on attracting more visitors to Afar in the past year.

Accordingly, despite the difficulties presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and the conflict in northern Ethiopia, the Regional State managed to generate a revenue of Birr 49.95 million from tourism in the 2022/2023 fiscal year. This amount was derived from over 251,000 visitors, both domestic and foreign.

Afar remains optimistic that it will continue to allure more tourists in the upcoming years as it continues to develop its tourism potential.

Source: The Ethiopian Herald

Image source: Ethiopian Embassy in Washington