(MENAFN- The Peninsula) victor bolorunduro |
The Peninsula
Doha:“The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 was a tournament for all nations as its positive impact has been felt globally. It has also boosted the global business immensely, especially travel businesses,” said Surafel Saketa, Ethiopian Airlines' Qatar Country Manager.
According to Saketa, the official of Africa's leading airline, Qatar 2022 succeeded in galvanizing people together through the power of sport, fostered peaceful coexistence, and promoted brotherliness without any prejudice or rancor throughout the one-month it lasted.
'Qatar 2022 was an interesting moment, not just for the hosts but for everyone. It was wonderful to see people coming together under one umbrella, making new friends, embracing different cultures, and, of course, striking new business deals. The opportunities the tournament threw up were simply limitless, and I want to congratulate Qatar once again for putting up such a great event,' he said.
On the business side of things, Saketa noted that Ethiopian Airlines was honored to be part of the global tournament by being the carrier of choice for many fans, mainly from Africa.
'We brought in about 8,000 fans, spectators, and participants, with most of them being from the five qualified African nations as well as fans from all over the globe, including Argentina and Brazil. This reaffirms that Ethiopian Airlines was the most reliable gateway from Africa into Qatar for the tournament,' he said.
He remarked that the tournament had a positive impact on air travel in Africa, with a substantial increase in passenger and freight traffic to and from the continent during the tournament.
Surafel Saketa, Ethiopian Airlines' Qatar Country Manager.
'It is an open secret that Africans are passionate about football, and the World Cup in Qatar gave them the opportunity to watch their favorite stars play at the highest level. Hence, Ethiopian would like to extend its gratitude to the Qatar 2022 organizers for making it easier for fans to travel for the tournament, particularly with the Hayya Card policy. It afforded a lot of Africans, who otherwise would not have been able to come, get the opportunity to witness the tournament,” Saketa added.
'This is something that is highly commendable and worthy of imitation by future hosts,' he said.
The Ethiopian Airlines country manager noted that Qatar 2022 has also showcased the tourism potential of the country and enabled people to see that Qatar has so much to offer in tourism.
'I believe there will be a huge spike in the hospitality and tourism sectors post-World Cup, that will have a corresponding impact on the travel industry, which is good for us. We believe there will be a lot of inbound travel to Qatar from Africa this year, and the signs are already there, and Ethiopian Airlines is well positioned to cater to the needs of everyone,' Saketa said.
Saketa also noted that Ethiopian Airlines has continued to consolidate its position as Africa's leading airline after the early success of its strategic plan (Vision 2025) by currently implementing a 15-year strategic plan called Vision 2035.
'Vision 2035 will see Ethiopian Airlines become one of the top 20 most competitive and leading aviation groups in the world by providing safe, secure, market-driven, and customer focused passenger and cargo transport and logistics services. Besides, our aviation training, airport management and ground services, MRO and aerospace manufacturing, as well as travel and tourism services will be expanded hugely,' he said.
Saketa noted that Ethiopian Airlines is the fastest growing airline in Africa.
'In its seventy seven years of operation, Ethiopian has emerged as the continent's leading carriers, unrivaled in efficiency and operational success. The airline has been registering more than threefold growth in the past 10 years.'
“Ethiopian Airlines commands the lion's share of the Pan African passenger and cargo network, operating the youngest and most modern fleet to more than 145 domestic and international passenger and cargo destinations across five continents,” he added.