Ethiopian Airlines global transit passengers to enjoy taste of capital gratis

Transit passengers traveling via Ethiopian Airlines, the largest aviation group in Africa, will be able to enjoy a free transit tour in Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, beginning Feb 1.

The new complimentary city tour package, offered by the airline and organized by ET Holidays, the tour operator wing of Ethiopian Airlines, will take transiting passengers with six to eight hours' time in Addis Ababa on a journey through one of the landmarks of the city, the national museum, accompanied by a taste of Ethiopian coffee and souvenir shopping at affordable prices.

The tour is aimed at enabling passengers to experience the unique flavors of the political capital during their brief stay.

Tewolde GebreMariam, the Group CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, said the huge influx of transit passengers in Addis Ababa will now be able to enjoy a personalized and end-to-end travel experience.

GebreMariam said the passenger influx has been facilitated by the country's innovative technology solutions, including the mobile app and online platforms that make it easy for travelers to book a flight, as well as apply for visa. 

"Ethiopian's mobile app enables passengers to secure their visa electronically within four hours from any part of the world, as well as book their flights, pay online using credit or debit cards, mobile money, e-wallet and bank transfer, check-in and be issued a boarding pass seamlessly," he said.

The complimentary service is expected to promote Addis Ababa as a tourist destination. Sprawling in the highlands bordering the Great Rift Valley, Addis Ababa is the country's commercial and cultural hub.

Its national museum exhibits Ethiopian art, traditional crafts and prehistoric fossils, including replicas of the famous early hominid, "Lucy".  Also located in the city, the burial place of the 20th-century emperor Haile Selassie, copper-domed Holy Trinity Cathedral, is a neo-baroque architectural landmark.