Ethiopia’s Nascent Luxury Tourism Market Starts to Take Hold
Photo Caption: A priest stands on the top of the Gheralta Mountains just after sunrise. Michael Waidmann
Skift Take
The question is not whether hoteliers and operators should invest in Ethiopia, but what is best for Ethiopia in balancing these new demands while protecting its people and its profound history and cultures.
Luxury is a word that one would rarely use to describe the current state of accommodations in Ethiopia. Its famous landmarks include the Simien Mountains and Gelada monkeys, the submerged churches of Lalibela, the religiously significant cities of Gondor and Aksum, and the otherworldly Danakil Depression.
Ethiopia is also one of the poorest nations in the world and for many Western tourists its image is tied to the devastating 1980s famine.
Traveling through the region has traditionally been trying, but a new generation of foreign and local industry players are eager for change with hopes that tourism can provide a steady foundation for an economy in flux.
One of the biggest obstacles to tourism growth is a shortage of quality lodges and tented camps, but a series of new projects including Limalimo Lodge and Korkor Lodge are introducing Westernized levels luxury and attracting more high-end visitors.
“Luxury tourism in Ethiopia is stil
