Doha, Qatar: The Area Manager – Qatar of Ethiopian Airlines, Surafel Saketa Geleta, has disclosed that the aviation company is pushing the Ethiopian Embassy in Qatar and government officials to make visas to Ethiopia a more accessible process for citizens and residents.
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of a forum to promote tourism to Ethiopia from Qatar, Geleta said a less complicated visa process would give a competitive advantage to countries who offer that and the airlines. Qataris have visa-free entry to 101 countries, according to the latest Henley Passport Index. On the other hand, several countries like Georgia and Armenia also allow residents of Qatar with a valid resident permit to visit their countries without a visa.
“As a business, we intend to increase movement by any means, be it tourists or something else. If there is movement, there is a market for us,” Geleta said.
“So whatever we think will catalyze the movement process, we insist on pushing that. So we are pushing with the embassy and the other government stakeholders to open the borders, especially for Qataris and residents here. If you simplify your visa process, that’s your competitive advantage over other very complicated countries,” he added.
Meanwhile, Geleta added airlines and tourist destinations are gradually coming out of a tourism slump due to the coronavirus pandemic, stressing that every country is eager to attract tourists. According to Geleta, the airline is working closely with the embassy in Qatar and travel partners in Doha to promote leisure and tourism travellers to Ethiopia and Africa. “What we are offering is convenience,” Geleta said of Ethiopian Airlines and its holiday packages.
“Ethiopian Airlines is very convenient to travel to Africa. So if you are transiting in Addis Ababa, you will stay for an hour and a half before moving on to your destination. So the first thing we are selling is convenience. Second thing, we are selling economies of scale. A small travel agency doesn’t have to negotiate with different companies; we can do that and negotiate with different corporate companies, hotels, and resorts because Ethiopian Airlines is a big brand in Africa,” he added.
Geleta said the airline’s holiday packages provide good deals for travel and tour operators in Qatar to sell to their customers.
“We get an excellent deal of them. So, it is easier for us to take the competitive advantage to the small ones. Also, we have a very good reputation as an airline for safety and customer service, so we are capitalizing on that and investing that reputation in the hospitality and the tourism sector.”
