Facts about visiting Ethiopia

Ethiopia hopes to become one of Africa's top 10 tourist destinations over the next 10 years and lure 1 million visitors a year.

The African nation does have many attractions, from medieval cities to historic holy sites, both Christian and Islamic. Much of the country is stable. There's almost always sunshine and moderate temperatures. And the Ethiopian government is promoting tourism at trade fairs, with new brochures and a visitor Web site in English and other languages (www.tourismethiopia.org).

Tourism is growing, although still small: Last year, the country hosted around 227,000 tourists, up from 184,000 visitors the previous year, according to ministry of tourism figures

Yet it's not all rosy. Ethiopia's infrastructure is creaking, with poor roads, basic communications and a lack of hotels. A 1998-2000 border war with Eritrea hit tourist earnings. And in December, Ethiopian troops invaded Somalia to help overthrow an already-tottering, fundamentalist Islamic government. The two countries have had long-simmering political and border disputes, particularly as Somalia has slipped into near-anarchy with warlords controlling much of the country.

Travelers must avoid border areas with Somalia because of unrest and danger; there's also banditry and unrest near border areas with Sudan and Kenya (and the border with Eritrea is closed because of political tensions).

Travelers can get advice and safety information on Ethiopia through the U.S. State Dept. travel advisories at www.travel.state.gov or phone 888-407-4747 for recorded information. Another good source is the Web site of travel guidebook publisher Lonely Planet: www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/destinations/africa/ethiopia

Information from Reuters is included in this report