Ethiopia has been named as the world’s most welcoming country in an open poll on popular travel site Rough Guide.
The site describes Ethiopia as “profoundly beautiful” in a poll that supports East Africa’s rise as a tourist destination.
Rough Guides, which is a British travel guidebook, took to social media to ask its followers for their pick of the most welcoming countries they have experienced.
Uganda also made the top three while Kenya sits at seventh in a list of the ten most welcoming countries in the world.
With more than 340,000 followers on Face book and Twitter alone, the popular website has plenty of travel enthusiasts to call upon for feedback and East Africa stands out on the list of results: 1. Ethiopia 2. India 3. Uganda 4. Colombia 5. Japan 6. Indonesia 7. Kenya 8. Myanmar 9. Finland, and 10. Bolivia.
Three East African countries make the top ten, alongside two representatives from South East Asia and South America respectively. While Ethiopia and Uganda take top and third spots in the poll, sitting either side of India in second place.
Ethiopia is emerging as a potential leader for tourism in Africa, already showing signs of becoming East Africa’s hottest destination.
Last year, Ethiopia was named as the world’s best tourism destination by the European Council on Tourism and Trade.
Now it’s being called the most welcoming country in one of the most popular online travel resources posted on Tuesday.
Top of the list sits Ethiopia, a profoundly beautiful East African country with a history that stretches back many thousands of years.
MG/abj/APA