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Ethiopian State Of Emergency, Travel Warnings Scare Off Tourists

Ethiopian State Of Emergency, Travel Warnings Scare Off Tourists

The U.S. and U.K. have warned citizens against traveling to Ethiopia after peaceful anti-government protests led to police violence and a state of emergency.

It’s taking its toll on Ethiopian tourism, with mixed messages coming from the government and citizens inside the country.

In August 2015, the Ethiopian Culture and Tourism Ministry announced a target to triple foreign visitors to more than 2.5 million by 2020. The ultimate goal: make Ethiopia one of Africa’s top five tourist destinations, according to an earlier AFKInsider report.

Ethiopia’s main tourist sites are far from regions that saw the worst unrest, and local operators say the risk to tourists is low, but the country’s tourism businesses are experiencing cancellations, The Guardian reported.

India-based tour operator Cox & Kings, U.K.’s Saga and Switzerland’s Kuoni are among those cancelling trips to the country.

The U.S. State Department warns that the state of emergency prohibits U.S. and other foreign diplomats from traveling farther than 40 kilometers outside of Addis Ababa without prior approval, severely affecting the U.S. Embassy’s ability to assist U.S. citizens.

The U.K. Foreign Office warns potential visitors that under Ethiopia’s state of emergency, they could be randomly arrested and searched, don’t have rights to write and circulate inflammatory messages, can’t participate in demonstrations, and face possible curfews and blocked internet.

Although foreign diplomats are under travel restrictions, tourists are free to travel and visit attractions around the country, the Ethiopian government said.

The state of emergency has created favorable conditions for visitors not to cancel plans, said Getnet Yigzaw, spokesman for the Ethiopian Tourism Organization. Tourists can travel to any part of the country in a group or individually, just as they have in the past, he said according to a Fana Broadcasting report.

“I hope foreign governments will have a balanced approach and align their responsibility to protect their citizens with the impact their decision will have on the livelihood of millions here,” said Andinet Feleke, a board member of the Ethiopian Tour Operators Association.

Feleke runs Jacaranda Tours and said tourism is still happening in Ethiopia, The Guardian reported.

Major tour operators will always defer to travel warnings from foreign offices, but more intrepid travelers are not deterred, The Guardian reported. However the messages coming out of Ethiopia are mixed.

“The lack of consistency is concerning,” said Shanny Hill of TDA Global Cycling, which runs Tour d’Afrique cycling tours that include Ethiopia.

The Canadian company plans to go ahead with a trip in February. “An expat acquaintance in Addis makes it seem dire (road closures, troops, limitations on travel – all unconfirmed), but an Ethiopian who we trust tells us everything is now fine. For a tour operator it has been hard to find reliable info,” Hill told The Guardian.

Ethiopia declared a six-month state of emergency Oct. 9.

“Demonstrations have been taking place in the Oromia and Amhara regions in 2016 and further protests are likely,” the Foreign Office said, according to The Telegraph.

“Tensions in Oromia have significantly risen since Oct. 2 when up to 100 people died during a stampede at the Irreecha religious festival.

“There has been widespread disruption to road travel across Ethiopia. Unauthorized and official roadblocks can appear with little or no warning.”

Ethiopia is home to nine UNESCO World Heritage sites — more than any other African country. Check them out here at AFKTravel.com.