The Daily Monitor 27 May, 2004 Halleta Digital Technologies, a private company engaged in computer related works, will in a few days introduce CDs and VCDs that will help as a tour guide of the city of Addis Ababa, company owner Girma Tegene told The Daily Monitor.

The CDs and VCDs comprise hundreds of pictures of different places, buildings and sites in Addis along with respective data which allows someone to tour or have a quick view of the city in a computer or TV screens.

Entitled Addis Ababa the Beautiful, the company's product also includes (gift) cards on which selected pictures of different places in the city are printed.

The first series of the production contains about 500 well-shot and polished pictures of different places printed on CDs along with respective addresses and relevant information which could serve as the city's tour guide.

Containing 150 pictures of different sites and buildings, the second production is as well printed on CDs which are more like a photo gallery that help someone have a quick view of Addis.

Printed on VCDs, the third production is a video CD album comprising about 400 pictures which allows those with no access to computers to view the capital in TV screens using VCD players. The fourth and the last production is printed on gift cards, each comprising about 8 to 10 pictures.

According to Girma, the project will have consumed about 150 thousand birr including future expenses, while it has taken about a year to be finalized.

"We have already facilitated outlets to sell the products in a number foreign countries, as our main target customers are Ethiopian Diaspora, international communities, tourists around the world," Girma said.

"We have established contacts in the US, South Africa Canada and Europe among others". The product will be updated every year incorporating newly constructed buildings and places in former productions, Girma said, thereby allowing users of the products access the city's updated views.

Pictures that can be viewed on the CDs and VCDs include churches and mosques, museums and art galleries, gift shops, cinema, theatre and other recreational places, hotels and restaurants, Merkato (Africa's biggest open market) and other shopping places, tour operators, bank and insurance companies, embassies, universities and colleges, ticket offices found in Addis among others.