Berlin 1973 wrote: The whiter you are the higher any price. Do shopping accompanied by an Ethiopian only.
yes it is common that People not beeing ethiopian are over charged in all Business, starting from the shoe polish Boy, up to "high Level" Business People, Hotels, the White nose Price. If we talk about increasing Price for non ethiopians, we have to understand that we are not talking about some 10% no we talking about 100% and even some times more.
Ethiopia realy has to think over this Problem and they should regulate this!
In the last years I have observed many travelrs leaving the Country back home with the Impression, they only want my Money, which is reflected in many Internet Tourist Forums, creating a real negetaive Image of ethiopia and we can not blaim them. It is the "ethiopian" who have the power to Change, not the visitors.
For sure every Tourist will smile over the shoe polish Boy beeing smart to make some extra money, but not about the Business men, driving in a luxury car and asking 100% more for the Hotel room and treating his own staff like shite..... As we say we should Keep the church in town!
I tryed once to explain a Hotel owner in Addis, I always used his Hotel for Addis visit (living in adama). One day he was complaining about his low booking rate. I explained him, that their are many People like me, that I know most of them and they all are non ethioipians searching regular a clean, Hotel, get more turn over by low Price per unit, because your fixed costs will not Change. he told me he has to Charge the view visitors more to compensate his loss, he could not follow my idea, he even excused himself by - they are Investors, they are rich!
Another day having my draft at my local bar, a budjad Driver walked in, looked at me and started to talk in amharic to the other guest, everybody was laughing. he told them that one day he stoped for me, because I was White smelling a good business, but at the end this guy did realy new the Price and sadly I could not cheat on him. The sad storry is for me that some one talks proud in public about cheating a non ethiopian, without beeing chamefull. In my Country if some would do so, everyboday would stop doing buisiness with him, because some one talking like this will also one day cheat me!!
Another one, at stop to Addis we had breakfast, same place as always (after this we stoped they lost 2 good customers), asking for tzhe bill, we found out that every unit Price was add by 2 Birr, not a lot, but in the summ it was 35 Birr, also not a lot, but for me a principle questions, and as well 35 birr x 365 days x 12 years.....
First the waiter was friendly when we referd to the menue, but suddenly he came back - Mr. sorry the bill is corect, the menue is wrong! Big joke, we were laughing but never returend!
And at the end we have to see, that this higher price is helping only some People in a very short time, but it is not suporting a sustainable Business world and for sure not a win for the common Ethiopian!
Oliver
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