Oxford Scholars Tour Addis Ababa as City Courts International Tourism

August 15, 2026
By Mintesinot Nigussie

A delegation of postgraduate students and academics from the University of Oxford is touring Addis Ababa’s major attractions and urban projects, offering the capital another opportunity to present itself as a destination for international visitors rather than merely a gateway to Ethiopia.

The delegation has visited the Abrehot Library, Science Museum, Arada Park, the Riverside Development and Unity Park. It is expected to visit additional tourism destinations and development projects during its stay, according to the Addis Ababa city administration.

The visit comes as the capital is trying to turn its diplomatic and conference advantages into a more substantial tourism industry. Addis Ababa received 699,761 foreign visitors in the first six months of FY2025/26, a 15 percent increase from the same period a year earlier. Those visitors generated 155 billion birr in tourism revenue, according to figures presented by Mayor Adanech Abiebie.

The numbers are significant for a city whose tourism proposition has traditionally been tied to its role as the headquarters of the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. The Ministry of Tourism lists the AU and UNECA conference facilities among Addis Ababa’s principal venues for international meetings, while the city is increasingly packaging museums, parks, cultural sites and newer urban developments as attractions in their own right.

The administration has also begun formalising that ambition. The Addis Ababa Tourism Commission now has a 10-year tourism development strategy covering 2025/26 fiscal year to 2034/35 fiscal year, with destination development, investment facilitation, marketing and digital services forming part of its remit.

That strategy is being pursued against a favourable national backdrop. Ethiopia recorded nearly 1.2 million international tourist arrivals between July 2025 and April 2026. UN Tourism data showed international arrivals to Ethiopia increased by 15 percent in 2025, placing the country among Africa’s faster-growing tourism markets.

For Addis Ababa, however, attracting visitors is only the first part of the equation. The city must persuade them to stay longer, spend more and see the capital as a destination rather than a stopover on the way to Ethiopia’s better-known historic and natural attractions. Its expanding portfolio of parks, museums, cultural sites and conference facilities is intended to help make that case.

The Oxford delegation’s tour fits into that effort. The city administration said the visit could help expose Addis Ababa’s tourism resources to international audiences, create opportunities for tourism investment and strengthen cooperation with international institutions.

Source: FSX Business News