Ethopian Airline tourism initiative and the resultant wake up call for Real Estate Tourism in Nigeria

When news broke out in January 2019 that Africa’s most profitable airline, Ethiopian airline was opening a $65 million Skylight Five Hotel set to forever change Ethiopia’s skyline, undoubtedly this news was received with a mixed feeling of sorts. Great initiative for Ethiopia and its people, for boosting and transporting its nation’s tourism to greater heights, and affording us, Nigeria, an opportunity to look inwards, and see what could have been, with the right initiative and proper fund utilisation and management.

 

The hotel, which covers 42000 square metres with a parking lot that can accommodate more than 500 cars, is located just five minutes from the Bole International Airport. Ethiopian Airlines is reported to have provided 35% financing while EXIM Bank of China provided 65% of the project’s financing. In addition to promoting Ethiopian tourism, this hotel will also welcome passengers during transits, stopovers or technical delays. The facility is expected to generate over 400 jobs. The Skylight Hotel has 373 guest rooms and three restaurants – a Chinese restaurant, an Ethiopian restaurant and a European restaurant. The hotel also has three bars – lobby bar, executive (rooftop) bar and Jazz club. Twenty-seven of the guest rooms are spacious suites.

 

The hotel also encompasses a grand ballroom which has been designed to accommodate 2,000 persons convenient for conference and wedding parties. It also has five meeting rooms that can accommodate 20-30 persons, a health centre that provides spa, massage and gym services, an outdoor swimming pool with a pool bar and mini golf court in the premise. Other recreational services such as a coffee shop, ticket office, and souvenir shop are also offered in hotel. A large kitchen, laundry and cold room are ready service.

 

On top of that, the Ethiopian carrier is also preparing to launch the construction of a second 5-star hotel. The entry into service is scheduled for 2021 and will be built on an area of 22410 metres, the hotel will have 637 rooms.

 

It makes one wonder how we as a nation, Nigeria, cannot in this day and age boast of facilities as this and more. Not to add to the myriad of issues already confronting and confounding the real estate industry and its developers, especially when it comes to the issue of funding, but, it takes looking at this from a holistic point of view to the nation to begin to fathom and comprehend the financial scope of projects such as these, as well as the rich rewards they’ll bring to the nations GDP, especially serving as a huge boost to the moribund tourism sector.

 

Imagine a Nigeria with humongous resort-styled hotels, with the warm ambience and rustic nature feel of the Obudu cattle ranch, and the combined luxurious beach side living of the Eko Atlantic. Imagine what that can do for us tourism wise, and the boost the country’s image and real estate industry will receive. One can only hope that public-private partnerships between experienced, forward-thinking developers and government on federal and state levels can begin to critically think along these lines in, and break into this seemingly new ground of real estate initiatives that should have been established long before now.

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