Beate Wedekind to launch “The New” Magazine in March

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - Addis Ababa was recently named one of the top ten places to visit in 2013, for culture, food and value for money by Lonely Planet.

Jupiter International Hotel held a celebratory event in its Kazanchis establishment for Addis Ababa as well as for a new magazine on Ethiopia that will be available in March. “We are celebrating for three reasons. One is because Addis is rated one of the top ten places to visit in 2013, and the other is that we are the only African country on the list, and then the launch of a magazine that focuses on Ethiopia,” said Benyam Bisrat, Managing Director of Jupiter International Hotel.

Addis Ababa made the top ten lists with other cities such as San Francisco, Amsterdam, Montreal and Beijing. Lonely Planet said that Addis Ababa is evolving at a fast pace and the fact that the country’s economic growth should reach almost 5% in 2013 helps create a feeling of confidence and stamina. It also said that Addis is well reviewed for its restaurant scene and nightlife and it rates Bole road as the fashionable district, with plenty of fancy bars, eateries, galleries and clubs.

One such fan of Ethiopia is German journalist Beate Wedekind, founder of the magazine titled “The New”. by Beate’s fascination with Ethiopia started when she came here from 1975 to 1977 to work as a volunteer. Since then she has visited Ethiopia numerous times. “I fell in love with the country and its people when I came here first. I decided to publish this magazine because I had an idea to represent the country and the people without the common prejudice. I think it is time to talk about the new Ethiopia,” said Beate.

The magazine was originally planned to be published in September of this year under the name “365_One World” but because of recent unfortunate events such as the death of PM Meles Zenawi, the launch had to be postponed. “We decided to change the name because we thought it was better, we wanted to focus on recent events, write about not only the country but also the people who build it,” said Beate.

It was stated that “The New” will be looking at opportunities, perspectives and progress, not prejudice and problems. The magazine will report on the aspiring middle class, their strong will to grow in terms of educational, economic, environmental, ecological, political and social stability. It was said at the event that it will put Ethiopia on the map as a place with opportunities to work and invest.

“This will help put Ethiopia on the map for tourism, and that is very important. We need the tourism sector to grow and we are ready for it. I work in the hotel business and I know that we are able to accommodate the number of tourists which is growing every day. The number of hotels will reach 10,000 soon and that is counting international hotel chains such as the Marriott Hotel and Holyday Inn,” said Benyam.

A special issue of “The New” magazine will be launched in Berlin in March; it will be 100 pages with100 exciting reasons why Ethiopia is one of the most interesting places to visit. Then the complete 365 page issue will be launched in Addis Ababa in May 2013 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the African Union.

Source: CapitalEthiopia.com