DENVER — Denver Mayor Michael Hancock will travel to Egypt and Ethiopia this week with a delegation of city and metro area leaders at a cost of more than $100,000. The trip, which comes at the tail end of Hancock's tenure as mayor, will help the city find new air service and economic development opportunities on the African continent, officials said.
The trip is expected to cost a total of $107,567.56. Of that amount, the Denver International Airport's enterprise fund will cover $88,521.50 while the remaining amount is coming from the general fund, officials said. The trip is part of Denver's Vision 100 plan, which wants to bring 100 million passengers annually at DIA within the next 10 years.
Hancock and the delegation depart Monday and return Friday.
"One of the main pillars of the Vision 100 plan is to expand Denver’s global connections, and Africa is an expansion opportunity," Hancock said in a release announcing the trip. "The success of new flights, especially international flights, depends on support from all categories of travelers – business, leisure, family visits and education – and this mission is an important step to raise awareness of our efforts to add these flights and gain the support of future travelers.”
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