|
Addis Ababa Ethiopia |
The world's best tourist destination? It's not Spain,
the US, or even New Zealand, but Ethiopia, according to the European
Council on Tourism and Trade.
The East African country, which suffered a series of famines in the
1980s, boasts some of the continent's most dramatic landscapes.
It was praised by the non-profit association of EU tourism organisations for its "excellent preservation of humanity landmarks".
The
country's highlights include the monolithic rock-hewn churches at
Lalibela, and the Simien Mountains National Park, a Unesco World
Heritage Site.
The park is home to a number of endangered species, including the Ethiopian wolf and walia ibex.
Ethiopia also boasts the Danakil Depression, with its colourful sulphur and salt lakes.
Another
attraction flagged up during the annual ceremony was the Fasil Ghebbi,
the residence of the Ethiopian emperors during the 16th and 17th
centuries.
In its application for the award, the Ethiopian government identified tourism as a key area if it is to tackle poverty.
"Ethiopia
[has] a perfect record of promoting social-friendly tourism, and an
ecological and poverty reduction strategy based on tourism," said
European Council's Senator Ionel Agrigoraoiei.
The group clearly enjoys backing an underdog - last year's winner was Zimbabwe; in 2013 it was Laos.
But
a few candidates that applied for consideration this year were typical
tourist destinations - they included Nigeria, Algeria, Congo DRC, Jordan
and Kazakhstan.
Just 20000 Britons visit Ethiopia annually, but
Kuoni, the luxury tour operator, tipped it (alongside The Philippines
and La Reunion) for a surge in visitors earlier this year.
Parts
are off-limits, however. The Foreign Office advises against all travel
to within 10km of the borders with Sudan, South Sudan, Kenya and
Eritrea, and to parts of the country's north- and southeastern regions