Ethiopia: Hotel and Hospitality Sector in Ethiopia

Hotel and tourism are inseparable sectors. To boast of a developed tourism and hospitality sector, a country needs to own modern hotels, lodges and other recreational centres. When we trace back to the history of hospitality sector in Ethiopia, we get Itegue Taitu Hotel, built in the early 1900s, believed to be the first modern hotel in Ethiopia. It was named after its founder Empress Taitu Betul, the wife of Emperor Menelik II. It was built mainly for the purpose of providing service to foreigners as a cozy place to rest and dine. Taitu Hotel is found in the middle of Addis Ababa commonly known as Piazza. The ancient hotel has 264 historic bedrooms, equipped with various important facilities. It is famous in the West as the setting for Evelyn Waugh's 1938 satirical novel Scoop is based on it.

In recent years the hotel's Jazzamba Lounge gained an international reputation as part of the revival of the 1960s and early 1970s Ethiopian jazz scene. The founder of Ethiopian Jazzmender, Mulatu Astatke and his colleagues have been performing in front of many jazz lovers.

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