ETHIOPIA GOLD YEARBOOK EDITION

 

Some of the stories appearing in this edition

- Deep in the Heart of Texas

Culture of Southern Ethiopia Africa Shines

Read more about Ethiopia profile: http://www.africa-ata.org/et_i_am.htm

Lucy Earns Raves in USA
Millennium Web site
Franco-Ethiopian Railway

Ethiopia
ATA Flashback
Ethiopian Airlines
Events in Ethiopia
Horseback Rides
Tourism Minister
News Releasees.
Photo Archives
Mama Ethiopia
Millennium
I am Ethiopia
Personal Profiles
US- Ethiopia Trade
Advertisers Index

Ethiopian Business

Ethiopia Index
Addis Ababa
Bahir Dar
Lalibela
Gondar
Harrar
Rift Valley
South Ethiopia
Arts and Crafts
Coffee History
Fashion Shows
Felasha Village
First Impressions
Holidays
Oldest Human
River Adventures
Royalty
Sheraton Addis
Thirteen Months
Tour Itinerary
USA- Ethiopia
Trade Missions
Wine & Roses

ETHIOPIA
Millennium Souvenir
Yearbook Sponsors
Ankober Palace Lodge
Axum Hotels
Ethiopian Airlines
Dinknesh Tours
Ghion Travel & Tours
Greenland Tours
Hadar Tours Plc.
Mama Ethiopia Project
Midroc Technology Group
Noble Conventions & Tours
Rainbow Exclusive Car Rental
& Tour Services
Rainbow- Corporate
Page (1) Page 2
Ras Hotels
Red Jackal Tours
Sheraton Addis Hotel
Smiling Ethiopia Travel
NTO Tours
Omo Tours
Timeless Ethiopia Tour
Trans Nation Airways
Travel Ethiopia PLC
USA Embassy,
Canadian Embassy
Be a Millennium Edition
sponsor e-mail now!

Transportation
Air Travel
Airports
Ethiopian Airlines
Railways

Websites
Culture and Tourism
Millennium (1)
Millennium (2)
Google Links

Flashback
Original ATA News Release
2007 Congress Agenda




SPOTLIGHT ON ETHIOPIA

Download sample page from Ethiopia Edition..... Advertise in Update Issue

Ethiopia: The Millennium Cometh:. By Yves Stranger. The perfect time to reflect on the country's history. The dreadlocked musicians greeting each other in a thatched wattle and-daub hut in Shashemene, southern Ethiopia, have no doubts about the color of the future, and the green, yellow and red Ethiopian flag flapping gaily in the wind above the hut echoes the colors of the clothes they wear. The millennium is coming to Africa, and his majesty is riding high, like a lion, in Zion. - We're #1 on Google for Marketing Ethiopia. . Comment . Mama Ethiopia . Ethiopia Magazine Agenda. President's Millennium Message . Ethiopian Millennium Edition of Africa Travel Magazine

Ethiopia: New York Photographer Robert Eilets featured on camera in "Going Home - A Pilgrimage."
The program was produced in Ethiopia and tells a heartwarming, timely and meaningful story. More details to come on this and affiliated web sites - and in print. Robert Eilets, has traveled as part of our media team on many trips to Africa since 2000. More: Click here for a link to FOX NEWS and view excerpts

Editor's Comments on Ethiopian Millennium Edition: Enroute to Ethiopia last May our luggage was weighed down with copies of Africa Travel Magazine for delegates to Africa Travel Association's 32nd Annual Congress. Would you believe the same suitcases were just as full coming back? The reason? They were stuffed with books, photos, DVDs and journals on every aspect of life in Ethiopia - culture, fashions, transportation, food, travel, tourism, investment and business opportunities. In 12 years, our magazine and web site have become a prime source for positive, timely substantive news and views about Ethiopia. Nothing succeeds like substance! Current searches of Google, Yahoo, MSN and others prove this point. But we brought back much more than information for our magazine's archives - we renewed friendships from two previous trips and had the opportunity to get to know many of the leading lights on the Ethiopian scene, including the outstanding Minister of Culture and Tourism.

ATA 32nd Annual Congress in Ethiopia Underscores Theme of Branding Africa as a Tourist Destination
Leading tourism industry experts from more than 20 countries in Africa, North America, Europe, and Asia came together in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from May 6-11 to participate in ATA's 32nd Annual Congress. Ethiopia's Culture and Tourism Ministry hosted the event in time for the country's millennium celebrations. Ethiopian Airlines served as the official congress carrier. Ethiopian President Girma Wolde-Giorgis welcomed delegates at the opening ceremony held at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) headquarters in Addis Ababa. "The tourism industry involves the participation of billions of people of all walks of life," he said. "Yet irrespective of Africa's diversified wealth, the continent's world share of receipts from international tourism is below four percent." ATA Executive Director Eddie Bergman said Africa's 53 nations need to "brand Africa in a way that benefits the continent as a whole and each individual country. This will enable the diverse community of nations to present its tourism product with a strong voice, and to put its collective weight behind continental and national priorities." The five-day program included topics such as branding Africa, emerging growth markets, alongside roundtable discussions, an arts and crafts fair, and an expo. Tanzania, Ghana, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Zambia showcased their countries at sponsored meals at the Hilton-Addis and Ghion hotels, and Ethiopian Airlines sponsored a special event. Working with the non-profits, MedShare International and Miracle Corners of the World, and the private sector, ATA facilitated the contribution of approximately $350,000 worth of medical supplies to a hospital in Lalibela. ATA-Tennessee member Patricia Tharpe also facilitated a $50,000 donation of medical equipment and supplies to Addis Ababa's Black Lion Hospital

New Photo Book featured in Ethiopia Millennium Souvenir Edition
Dear Jerry and Muguette, I am pleased to announce that I have finally published a book of photography from my travels in Ethiopia. In this e-mail you should be provided with a link so that you can view it on-line. It is also announced on my website at www.acfairbankconsulting.ca/photographer.htm. Copies of the book can be ordered through my website. Your comments and feedback will also be greatly appreciated to let me know whether I should invest in similar endeavors in the future. All the best, Angela Fairbank acfairbank@shaw.ca www.acfairbankconsulting.ca

• Post ATA Congress Review: Photo gallery, speakers' comments and interviews. Sessions on "Bringing the World to Africa" and "Branding Africa as a Unified Continent." AFRAA African Airlines Forum • African Tourism Ministers Roundtable .

• Historical Profile of Ethiopian Airlines on its 60th Anniversary.

• Profile of Ethiopian Banks and Investment Houses.

• Opportunities via USA Trade Missions to Ethiopia.

• Homecoming Tours • Profile of Ethiopians in the African Diaspora

• The Lucy Legacy: Hidden Treasures of Ethiopia on USA Museum Tour.

Addis Ababa: Africa's Meeting Place
Why did ATA choose Addis Ababa as the venue for its 32nd World Congress in May 2007? To begin with it's today's political capital of Africa, home of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, (UNECA). More than 95 embassies from all over the world have their missions in Addis Ababa. This makes the capital of Ethiopia a city where one finds the highest concentration of embassies in the world after Washington DC, New York and London. Addis Ababa is easily accessible, having daily flights to and from cities in Europe. Ethiopian Airlines, Lufthansa, Alitalia, Kenya Airways, Egypt Air, Saudia and others serve Addis Ababa. Perhaps what makes Addis unique is that the national carrier, Ethiopian Airlines, serves many cities in Africa&emdash; making it the most accessible city on the continent. United Nations Conference Center: One of the most modern and sophisticated conference centers in the world, offering state-of-the-art facilities. Addis Ababa

In The Queen of Sheba's Footsteps
Lalibela's Bet Giyorgis, most famous of the eleven rock-hewn churches in this mountainous area, is believed to have been built in the late 12th or early 13th century by King Lalibela. These incredible edifices, which were carved inside and outside from solid rock, are ranked among the wonders of the world. Our team of North American journalists came to Ethiopia with few preconceived notions, yet each had some special areas of concern. For every member of the group, it was a first time journey to this ancient, mysterious, storybook land. What a spiritual awakening it proved to be. The tour of Ethiopia's Historic Route began in Addis Ababa, the capital and geographical center. For starters, Ethiopian Airlines, flew us north to Lalibela, the holy city; to Gondar- Africa's Camelot, and to Bahir Dar on Lake Tana, source of the Blue Nile. Dire Dawa and the walled city of Harar in the eastern sector completed the agenda. Nothing I had read about the Holy City of Lalibela, its mysteries, legends, saints and monarchs, could have prepared me for what we were about to encounter on this trip. The brief morning flight from Addis Ababa's Airport north was a delight, winging through the cloudless skies, as an ever-changing panorama of awesome gorges, deep canyons and broad plateaus unfolded below. More->

The Exhibition "Lucy Legacy: Hidden Treasures of Ethiopia"
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Ethiopia and the Houston Museum of Natural Science of Texas, USA on October 24/2006 signed an agreement to mount an exhibition entitled "Lucy's Legacy: The Hidden Treasures of Ethiopia" The agreement was signed by the Ethiopian Minister of Culture and Tourism, Ambassador Mohammed Drir and the President of the Houston Museum of Natural Science, Mr. Joel A. Bartsch.

Following the signing of the agreement, Ambassador Mohammed Dirir said the centerpiece of this Ethiopian Exhibition in the United States will be Lucy, but nearly 190 other Ethiopian Heritage items from various regions of the country will be included. These range form humankinds' earliest stone tools to contemporary articles representing the legacy of our forebears and of our own time. The Ambassador further said that millions of Americans-school children and adults- will view in some eleven major museums across the United States these fabulous collections from the cradle of human kind, Ethiopia. He went on to say that they will have the opportunity to somberly reflect on human origins, they will have a chance to know about an ancient millennia-old civilization in Africa, and a chance to acquaint themselves with contemporary Ethiopia through a realistic image. Continued

Birth of Coffee: There is an old Ethiopian legend that says that a young goat herd noticed his herd becoming unusually frisky after eating some bright red berries. After trying some himself, he found that they had the same stimulating effect on him. A monk from a neighboring monastery also tried these berries after he found the young goat herd in this state, and to his amazement, he also found that the berries helped keep him and others alert during their night prayers and thus spread the use of coffee. More->

Ethiopian Airlines Wins Friends , Influences People: How many of our under 30 generation have read his books, or even know about Dale Carnegie, I could never guess. Yet this one man's simple concepts have changed millions of lives dramatically and positively for generations, not just in North America, but around the world. In my opinion everyone should read at least one of his inspiring books. Like Napoleon Hill, another author who has inspired folks around the world, he leads by example. The management at Ethiopian Airlines has the type of action-based thinking and 'hands on' approach Carnegie talks about on every page of his best seller, "How to Win Friends and Influence People." Speaking of winning friends, the way our group of 11 journalists was catered to during a Tourism Ministry sponsored flight from the USA to Addis Ababa -- and around the country on its regional routes, left its mark indelibly on each of us. Following the Historic Route Tour to Lalibela, Gondar, Bahir Dar-and Lake Tana, I had the opportunity of working at the company's head office for several days, laying the foundation for this issue and an updated (Post Congress) edition of Africa Travel Magazine. That was when I experienced the "Spirit of Ethiopian Airlines" first hand. More->

Wine and Roses: My inner child loves surprises, and to discover a freshly cut sweetheart rose nestled on one's pillow is a touch that transcends time and space. This was the first surprise the Sheraton Addis reserved for our group, and much more awaited us as we checked the nooks and crannies of this elegant hotel and its spacious, luxuriant, terraced grounds. Later, we discovered ornate vases of roses literally everywhere; in the restaurants, around the lobby and corridors, at the pool-side -- and at a festive wedding we attended. Airports: Nationwide expansion sets stage for tourism More->

Bahir Dar, Lake Tana, Blue Nile Falls
A pleasant surprise occurred on day 3 of our Historic Route journey through Ethiopia. Following a short flight on Ethiopian Airlines from Gondar to Bahir Dar Airport, the gut-wrenching condition of the road leading west led me to believe our group of 11 journalists would be staying at some dusty lakeside village. However, like several of my colleagues, I was completely bowled over when tall palms and jacarandas suddenly appeared out of the blue. Like part of a royal procession, we entered a modern, well laid out community with broad, tree-lined boulevards. Bahir Dar would rival many seaside retreats on the Mediterranean or Florida. En route to Lake Tana, I spotted a huge resort hotel complex nearing completion &emdash; a sign of positive things to come. After checking into our hotel, we boarded a motor launch for a spin around Lake Tana, which is Ethiopia's largest lake. We're told there are 37 small islands on the lake, and most of them shelter monasteries and churches, some dating back to the 13th century. On most inland bodies of water of this size, one might encounter powerboats and sleek sailing craft, but on Lake Tana in Northern Ethiopia, leisure gives way to practicality. Here, the waters are alive with a fleet of 'tankwas' , papyrus canoes, carrying charcoal and firewood to market in Bahir Dar. More->

A Storybook Land: I've never been to Tibet, but the spiritual presence and views we saw during our corkscrew journey up the hillside would easily fit that image. Small wonder this storybook land has such a spiritual presence, a proud tradition and a way of life that has survived three millennia, despite an outside world of hate, conquest, treachery, trial and turmoil. The thatched villages, shepherd boys, terraced farming methods, simple forms of irrigation and donkey power, attest to the fact that time has stood still &emdash; as well it should. Coming from North America it's hard for us to realize that this is the way it has been in this part of the world since time immemorial.

Rocks of Ages: During my recent African excursions, I have been awed by mankind's glorious creations, offset by a Jekyll and Hyde capacity for evil. While we were shocked by the slave castles of West Africa's Gold Coast and Zanzibar's dungeons, we saw the result of godly forces at work in the 12th century rock -hewn churches that have made the Holy City of Lalibela a magnet for Christian pilgrims and historians.

Many come for the famous church festivals in Ethiopia, such as Timket (Epiphany) and other times of celebration and devotion. Souvenirs of King Lalibela are everywhere, as a continuing tribute to his glory and greatness in creating these wonders of the world. Our official photographer, Robert Eilets couldn't get over the abundance of photo opportunities in Lalibela's streets, at the famous stone churches and around every bend in the road leading to this remote highland community. Next time, we vowed to allow an extra day for photography alone.

Continued: (Holy Route North) Gondar- Ethiopia's Camelot

 

For information e-mail: info@tourismethiopia.org, or tour-com@telecom.net.et . Web site: http://www.tourismethiopia.org/pages/ethiopia.asp