USAID Pledges Support for Tanzania’s Environment, Conservation and Tourism

The United States government, through its US Agency for International Development (USAID) has pledged millions of US dollars in the next five years to boost wildlife and environment conservation efforts in Tanzania.  Read more. To this end, the Tanzanian government plans re-open closed wildlife corridors across the country, stated the Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism,…

Accra Weizo – Seamless Travel in West Africa

Accra will play host to a historic gathering of tourism operators for the debut travel expo, “Accra Weizo”, scheduled for July 3. Taking place at La Palm Royal Beach Hotel, the one-day travel event will be a combination of exhibition and talks on various tourism-related topics by experienced speakers and prominent travel operators from Africa…

Tanzania unveils nine new cultural tourism sites

Tanzania has unveiled nine new cultural tourism sites across the East African nation with more than 120 major tribes, an official said on Saturday. The new cultural tourism enterprises (CTEs) are being coordinated by the Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB) through its arm Cultural Tourism Program (CTP). The CTP Coordinator Elirehema Maturo said that the new…

Meet The Youngest Female Pilot In Kenya

Her name is Alice Runyutu, a 20-year-old who’s currently a student pilot. The beautiful and humble young lady reveals that her passion for flying came from “the love that I have for adventure and traveling.” Her maiden flight was on a Cessna 152 and for her, she found it a really exciting experience.  “I find…

On Safari at Mandela home

Nelson Mandela’s luxurious holiday home was recently opened to the public as a holistic retreat where travelers can explore South Africa’s rich wildlife offerings. The Nelson Mandela Centre for Reconciliation House is located in the 24,000-acre Shambala Private Game Reserve, a 2.5-hour drive north of Johannesburg. Mandela considered his house at Shambala a haven of…

Registration now open for annual APTA Forum

Registration is now open for our annual National Forum to be held in Scottsdale, Arizona on September 25th & 26th, 2015 at The Boulders. Our annual meeting brings together the movers and shakers in our niche market with chapter officials and members from all 12 local chapters in attendance. Our Forums have evolved into a…

TIES Conference comes to Kasane in 2016

Botswana Tourism Organization is proud and excited to host the 10th annual Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conferencein the same year that the Republic of Botswana will celebrate its 50th independence anniversary. The conference (ESTC) will be held in Kasane from April 25th – 28th. The Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference is a unique annual conference…

Terry Dale USTOA, to speak at S!TE 2015

(June 18, 2015, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania) The Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB) is pleased to announce that Terry Dale, CEO and President of the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA), will be a featured speaker at the second annual Swahili International Tourism Expo (S!TE).  S!TE 2015 will take place at the Mlimani City Conference Centre, October…

Ten Budget Airlines Changing Africa’s Skies

(CNN) Travelling across Africa’s huge distances can be expensive. Not too long ago, getting from one city to another often meant a connection in Europe. That is finally changing. Low-cost airlines are taking off across the region, serving routes that cater to the continent’s growing middle class. It has not been easy for them. African…

US Government to Crush Ivory Trade

The United States government will crush a 1-ton stockpile of illegal ivory in the middle of New York City’s Times Square on Friday 19 June (The event will take place at 10:30 a.m. and will be open to the public). This momentous event, hosted by African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) and other leading conservation groups, shows…

Ethiopian Airlines start Botswana operations

On June 30, Ethiopian Airlines will become the fourth airline to start operations in Botswana. In an interview, Mr Elias Ketema, Ethiopian Airlines’ Gaborone area manager, said that branching out into Botswana would be a key development in the expansion of diamond trading and connectivity to businesses in the country.  He added that, though the…

24 Hours in a Safari Lodge or Camp

For most people, holidays mean spontaneity and control of their time, and what better than a safari – combining comfort and untamed wilderness – to deliver this freedom? It can come as a surprise, then, to arrive in camp and find the daily routine dictated by the workings of the bush and the logistics of…

Zanzibar proposes new taxes

The government of Zanzibar (which includes the main island of Unguja and the smaller island of Pemba) has announced plans to implement new taxes from 1st July 2015.  Plans call for new bed night tax and additional airport/seaport taxes BED NIGHT TAX The tax calls for a $1.00 per person per night “Infrastructure Tax”, to…

Total Rebuild of Camp Okavango

The new Camp Okavango will open on April 14, 2016, following a full rebuild of the public areas and guest tents. Stunning public areas, accessed by raised walkways, will be linked with the new luxury suites, boasting expansive views right across the Okavango Delta. The new Camp Okavango will consist of eleven guest suites and…

World Travel Awards – Africa, Indian Ocean

A red-carpet gala ceremony is being organized at the Kempinski Seychelles Resort for Saturday, June 20, where winners from Africa &the Indian Ocean will be presented with their World Travel Awards before an invited audience of the industry’s leading luminaries and international media.  The best of the best from the world of tourism of Africa…

Jenman Lists Top 10 Lodges of Zimbabwe

APTA Member Jenman African Safaris is one of the leading safari travel operators in Southern Africa, East Africa and Madagascar. For over 20 years they have tried and tested hundreds of lodges and recently put together a list of ten lodges to consider for your clients in Zimbabwe: READ ABOUT THE TOP TEN:

Sale of Desroches Island Lodge

Desroches Island Lodge Limited (DIL) are excited to announce that we have concluded negotiations for the sale of the hotel and business situated on Desroches Island, subject to consent and approval of the Government of Seychelles . We will continue to operate, manage and market the hotel in the normal manner for the remainder of 2015,…

Rwanda Visa Requirements – The Facts

There has been a slew of blogs, messages, press releases and emails to the effect that the visa costs and requirements for travel to Rwanda have increased and changed. This is incorrect. Ronnie Harris, North American Representative for Rwanda Tourism in North America, sets the record straight:  Please note the correct costs and requirements to…

Sanctuary Awarded Ten TripAdvisor Certificates of Excellence

Because of their guests’ positive reviews, APTA members Sanctuary Retreats, have been recognized as top-performing luxury camps and lodges. Among them, they have been awarded ten 2015 TripAdvisor Certificates of Excellence and Sanctuary Olonana has been inaugurated into the TripAdvisor Hall of Fame The award-winning properties are: Sanctuary Chief’s Camp, Botswana, located on Chief’s Island,…

SA Hotel group expands to Nigeria

Cape Town – The South African hospitality company, BON Hotels, has expanded its offering to West Africa, by taking over management, sales and marketing of four Protea hotels in Nigeria. BON Hotels added Protea Hotel Abuja, Protea Hotel Delta, Protea Hotel Ikeja and Protea Hotel Victoria Island to their recently-formed West African joint venture, BON…

Airlink’s city to bush-lodge network now on sale

Airlink’s “Lodge Link System” service, which will provide direct connectivity beyond the Skukuza and Nelspruit/Kruger airports to five of the most popular game lodge destinations in South Africa, is now available for sale in the Global Distribution System (GDS), on-line, as well as via travel agent and tour operator’s Computerized Reservations Systems. (CRS) The Lodge…

Welcome to Travel Industry Exchange

Welcome to Travel Industry Exchange, the number-one travel specialization event! Agents who specialize in niche travel not only become more relevant to their clients’ needs— they are more likely to increase their revenue! With over 60 educational sessions focused on niche travel including certification programs in Luxury, Romance, and Cruise; concentrated programs in technology, trends…

The unknown pyramids of Meroe in Sudan

AL-BEGRAWIYA, Sudan (AP) — The small, steep pyramids rising up from the desert hills of northern Sudan, resemble those in neighbouring Egypt but, unlike the famed pyramids of Giza, the Sudanese site is largely deserted. The pyramids at Meroe, some 200 kilometers (125 miles) north of Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, are rarely visited, despite being a…

Kempinski Seychelles Hosts World Travel Awards

Kempinski Seychelles Resort Baie Lazare has been selected to host the World Travel Awards (WTA) Africa & Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony 2015. Set to take place on Saturday, June 20th, the dazzling red-carpet ceremony will welcome hospitality leaders and luminaries from across the regions. Located on the south end of Mahé in Baie Lazare, Kempinski Seychelles Resort is the perfect…

Unveiling of &Beyond Benguerra Island

The much-anticipated unveiling of &Beyond Benguerra Island has finally arrived. On June 1st, we welcomed our first guests into a world of luxury island living. Guests can now enjoy sensational accommodation in the form of light and airy casinhas and cabanas and spend languid hours on silky-white pristine beaches. With a distinct nod to both…