Experience Ethiopia Travel is a private, wholly Ethiopian owned company, which is committed to developing forms of tourism which bring real benefits to both visitors and hosts.

As a private company, EET cannot set policy on how tourism in Ethiopia should develop but we are constantly seeking, through our membership of the Ethiopian Tour Operator Association (ETOA) and through our contacts with Federal and regional government, to contribute to the national debate and to the framing of a code for responsible tourism practice.

EET consults regularly with Federal and regional governments, local councils, indigenous development associations and institutions like the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

EET firmly believes that tourism development should be in line with national and regional development plans and priorities, and that scarce resources should not be diverted to create a parallel infrastructure solely for the use of visitors. In our operations, we look to see how we can achieve "leakage" - how receipts from tourism can generate income and create jobs locally, and have initiated discussions with local indigenous development associations to assess how this can be done.

EET is conscious of the damaging environmental impact unplanned tourism development can have. In our trekking and camping tours, we carry our own fuel, and in developing off road and permanent camp sites, will use environmentally friendly means of power generation. EET is a corporate member of the Campaign for Environmentally Responsible Tourism, the Ethiopian Wildlife and Heritage Society and the Ethiopian Heritage Trust, and regularly raises issues or environmental concern with national authorities and regional bureau.

EET wants to break down the barriers between visitors and hosts, liberating visitors from the "quarantine" they often find themselves in, and promote real meetings and interaction between visitors and host communities.

EET is interested in linking professional associations and organizations in other countries with their Ethiopian counterparts.

EET wants to encourage the development of domestic tourism and is working to develop affordable holidays, camp sites and school exchanges between different regions of Ethiopia.