Addis Ababa attracted 699,761 foreign visitors in the past six months, generating 155 billion birr in revenue for the economy, Mayor Adanech Abiebie told the city council.

Presenting a tourism performance report at the council’s second regular session of its fifth year in office, the mayor said the capital had also welcomed 4.9 million domestic tourists during the same period.

She noted that approximately 150 international and continental events were hosted in Addis Ababa over the six-month period, a 50 percent increase compared with the corresponding period last year. The rise in organised events follows infrastructure upgrades and large-scale projects intended to strengthen the city’s position as a conference tourism destination.

According to the mayor, public and religious festivals staged in open spaces across the capital, along with expanding sports and health tourism activities, have contributed to the sector’s growth.

The city administration has developed and upgraded multiple tourist sites to enhance tourism’s social and economic contribution to urban development, she said, adding that visitor numbers continue to increase steadily.