A year after the cessation of hostilities agreement was signed between the Tigray People's Liberation Front(TPLF) and the Federal government;  Tigray regional state is set to reopen its tourism sector this coming Wednesday.

State Minister of Tourism, Sileshi Girma, revealed that preparations to open up the regional state are nearly finished as he presented the first quarter report before the Standing Committee for Trade and Tourism at parliament two weeks ago.

He indicated that bilateral meetings with the interim president of the Tigray regional state, Getachew Reda, had taken place, and plans to reinvigorate tourism were laid out in collaboration with members of the regional state's tourism bureau.

"We had discussions with various stakeholders in Tigray and neighbouring regional states," the state minister told Fortune.

He indicated that reviving the tourism sector in Tigray will create revenue that can help rehabilitate the region as a whole and maintain its rich historical and cultural heritage.

"It will have several benefits," he noted.

The state minister suggested that an ongoing communication line had been opened between the Ministry and regional officials around the Afar and Amhara regional states to remove any transport hurdles.

Data from the Ministry indicates that Ethiopia earned a little over 3 billion dollars between July of 2022 and June of 2023, a significant increase from revenues two years ago of around 2 billion dollars.

While home to several archaeological and man-made cultural attractions, the ravages of war had brought significant damage to the Tigray regional state, with rehabilitation costs ballparked at 20 billion dollars last year by the Minister of Finance, Ahmed Shide.

The area around the Axum Obelisk, including the airport and several tourist attractions in Tigray, has suffered significant damages due to the two-year war, according to Atsbha G.Ebregziabher(PhD), head of the Tigray Culture and Tourism Bureau.

Atsbha revealed that training on the fundamentals of the hospitality industry was given to 420 individuals from Tigray over a two-day session in August by the Ministry alongside financial and material donations.

According to the bureau head, the Al Negashi mosque, the Emperor Yohannes museum, and the monasteries of Abune Pentallion, Abune Abraham, and Axum Tsion suffered the most significant damages.

"Theft and arson were common in these sites," he told Fortune.

The Abune Penatllion monastery found atop May Qoho mountain northwest of Axum requires a four-phase restoration effort due to the devastating impact of heavy artillery used during the conflict, says Atsbaha.

He indicated that just the first phase required 5.7 million Br, pooled from the community to prevent the site from collapsing.

Atsbha revealed that plans to restore the Axum Obelisk to its former glory following donations by the Italian government had been delayed due to the war, which fueled growing anxiety over possible damage to the repair items.