Direct flights between Nairobi and Addis Ababa by Ethiopian Airlines, road network opening up more opportunities. Ethiopian hospitality entrepreneur and founder of Kuriftu Resorts & Spa Tadiwos Belete, Ethiopia's Ambassador to Kenya General Bacha Debele and GulfCap Group chairman and EALA legislator Suleiman Shahbal, during the "Promote Ethiopia" event in Nairobi / MOSES MWANGI Ethiopian hospitality entrepreneur and founder of Kuriftu Resorts & Spa Tadiwos Belete, Ethiopia's Ambassador to Kenya General Bacha Debele and GulfCap Group chairman and EALA legislator Suleiman Shahbal, during the "Promote Ethiopia" event in Nairobi / MOSES MWANGI Kenya and Ethiopia are seeking to strengthen economic ties, with tourism, trade, energy, manufacturing and cross-border infrastructure emerging as key pillars of a growing partnership.
This, as they push to unlock more trade and investment opportunities for economic prosperity, including tapping into the wider African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The renewed push comes as the Ethiopian Embassy in Nairobi launched a campaign to market Ethiopia as both a tourism destination and an investment hub, inviting Kenyan businesses to take advantage of reforms that have opened new sectors of the economy to foreign investors.
Speaking during the "Promote Ethiopia" event in Nairobi, Ethiopia's Ambassador to Kenya, General Bacha Debele, said the country is repositioning itself as a modern investment destination while leveraging its rich cultural heritage and strategic location in the Horn of Africa.
"We are here to showcase the New Ethiopia, a country that is boldly redefining its tourism landscape," Debele said, describing tourism as one of the five pillars of Ethiopia's Homegrown Economic Reform programme. The ambassador said Ethiopia offers investors opportunities in tourism, transport, energy, agriculture and manufacturing, while encouraging Kenyan businesses to tap into the country's expanding economy.
He noted that Ethiopia's transformation is being driven by flagship tourism projects under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's "Dine for the Nation" and "Dine for Generation" initiatives, which have seen the development of world-class destinations including Gorgora Eco Resort, Wenchi-Dendi, Shabeely Resort, Arbaminch Conference Resort and Hallala Kella.
The projects are intended to increase visitor numbers, extend tourist stays and position Ethiopia as a competitive African tourism destination. "We invite the Kenyan business community, tour operators and investors to seize this moment and explore the vast investment potential within our thriving tourism sector," Debele said.