Ethiopia is participating at the World Travel Market (WTM) in London and visitors have been flocking to the Ethiopian stand, designed to reflect its ancient civilization.

Local tour operators are on hand to display a wide range of tours and Ethiopian hospitality. The stand also provides reminders of Ethiopia's unique stature as the cradle of humankind and a presentation underlining this was held on Monday (November 5th) at the Natural History Museum in London. Paleontologist Dr. Berhane Asfaw spoke on the country's record of human and hominid remains spanning several million years. In his discussion, he noted the plethora of rare species and fossils to be found in landscape of volcanic lakes and mountains, which he said made Ethiopia, a Palaeolithic 'zoo'. Dr. Berhane noted that out of a total of 14 widely recognized hominid species, 11 are found in Ethiopia, making it a unique center for research on the evolutionary records of the last six million years. Hominid remains for example are found in the Omo Shringura at all levels, stretching from about 4 million years ago to 200,000, and other areas of research, including Dikika, Warenso Milla, Middle Awash, Konso andChorora as well as the Omo.