Ethiopia’s Enchantment

Exploring the world’s top tourism destination for 2015.

Ethiopia’s bounty of heritage sites has long drawn adventure and beauty seekers, but only now, it seems, is the country taking its rightful place amid the international spotlight. In early July, the European Council on Tourism and Trade voted Ethiopia the world’s top tourism destination for 2015 — celebrating the country for its “excellent preservation of humanity landmarks,” from the Camelot-like castles of Gondar to the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela.

Indeed, tourism to the country has grown consistently in recent years — rising from 468,000 visitors in 2010 to 681,000 in 2013, according to the World Bank. Economic growth, too, is clipping ahead in Ethiopia, with the International Monetary Fund classifying the country as one of the globe’s five fastest-growing economies.

So as the new year looms on the horizon, and new opportunities for travel along with it, we present our editors’ top picks for where and what to visit in Ethiopia in 2016.

Read more at: Selamta Magazine