One of South Africa’s most iconic hiking trails, the Tsitsikamma trail (sponsored by forestry company MTO) in the Garden Route, has undergone a major upgrade to provide an even better experience for local and international visitors. Timber overnight huts, including two-man A-frame units and larger six-person huts, have been built, and existing huts have been…
Airlink launched the first-ever scheduled direct air service between Cape Town and Maputo. The first flight departed from Cape Town on time at 17h10 and arrived in Maputo at 19h40. The first return flight departed Maputo at 06h10 this morning and landed in Cape Town at 09h00. Airlink is operating its 37-seat Embraer 135 twin-engine jetliner to…
he US is solidifying its position as South Africa’s top international source market, recording 28 207 arrivals in June – more than double that of the UK in second place (12 301 arrivals). According to the latest Tourism and Migration Statistics from Stats SA, a total of just over 1.7 million travellers (arrivals, departures and transits), passed…
Transnet has completed its investigation into incidents which led to the suspension of the Blue Train service, paving the way for it to resume “imminently”, the parastatal announced on Monday. Transnet spokesperson Ayanda Shezi said management had decided to temporarily suspend the Blue Train’s operations as a “precautionary measure” in February following three serious incidents…
The Namibian Ministry of Health and Social Services has announced that, with immediate effect, foreign travellers will no longer have to produce a vaccination certificate or negative PCR test result at the country’s ports of entry. According to the Ministry, the epidemiological situation in Namibia no longer supports the requirement, reports The Namibian.
As I walked along the gravel-covered path to my suite at the new safari lodge Lolebezi, which opened in June 2022 in Zambia’s Lower Zambezi National Park, my experienced guide scanned the surrounding bushes and winter thorn trees for any signs of wildlife. We almost made it to my room incident-free — until we saw a…
The Uganda Tourism Association (UTA) has called for the establishment of a committee to lead the return of Ugandan artefacts from foreign museums. Herbert Byaruhanga, the President of UTA made the call on Tuesday, 30 August 2022, as he and association members appeared before the Committee on Tourism, Trade and Industries chaired by Hon. Mwine…
Low-cost carrier FlySafair has added new features to its WhatsApp business account, allowing passengers to search for their booking and check in for their flight directly with the app. Kirby Gordon, Chief Marketing Officer at FlySafair, says the new WhatsApp features are just some of the many ways it is creating a frictionless travel experience from booking…
Nile Air is now offering flights between Cairo (CAI) and Al Ain International Airport (AAN), United Arab Emirates with convenient bus connections to Dubai. Bus service is provided by Nile Air from Al Ain International Airport to Dubai Bus Station (XHB). Itineraries can be booked in your GDS including the bus segment (CAI-DXB). Service operates…
Zambia President Hakainde Hichilema arrived in Tanzania on Tuesday for a 2-day state visit that will see him holding bilateral talks with Tanzania President Samia Suluhu Hassan and later witness the signing of transport, logistics, and tourism agreements between Tanzania and Zambia. While in Tanzania, President Hichilema and the Tanzanian President are expected to discuss…
The Gauteng Tourism Authority has signed a ‘game-changing’ Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ghana Tourism Authority, as one of the outcomes of the inaugural Ghana Week in South Africa, which was aimed at strengthening tourism, trade and investment relations between the two countries. The agreement, signed by Gauteng Tourism CEO, Sthembiso Dlamini, and Ghana Tourism CEO, Akwasi…
Airlink and Federal Airlines have committed to a commercial partnership aimed at ensuring sustainable air access linking key Lowveld airports – such as Skukuza and Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport – with popular commercial game lodges in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve and northern KwaZulu Natal. Federal Airlines will expand its air shuttle transfer services to…
Airlink will resume scheduled services between Johannesburg and Richards Bay from September 19. This follows the securing of the necessary resources to accommodate scheduled airline services at Richards Bay Airport after an enforced 20-month hiatus. “We are ready to welcome Richards Bay customers back on board our flights and help reignite growth and economic activity…
Two weeks ago, eTurboNews reported a Nigerian government scam to withhold payment to the Dubai-based UAE airline Emirates. Emirates Airlines on Thursday from September 1, 2022. Emirates said the suspension became necessary following its inability to repatriate its funds from Nigeria. In the 1980th, many western airlines lost millions servicing the Nigerian market due to a similar…
Mount Kilimanjaro is a major tourism attraction for Tanzania, with approximately 35,000 people attempting to scale its peak every year. This week, in what Tanzanian officials called a ‘historic’ event, the “roof of Africa” has been connected to the Internet for the first time. The country’s Information Minister, Nape Nnauye, declared that the national landmark…
Kenya’s Deputy President William Ruto has been elected as the country’s next President, the electoral commission announced Monday. Ruto won with 50.49% of the vote, narrowly defeating veteran opposition leader and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who was contesting his fifth election. He will become Kenya’s fifth President since independence, winning the seat on his…
Africa’s Travel Indaba 2023 has been confirmed as running from May 9-11, with an additional BONDay (Business Opportunity Networking) being held on May 8. This was highlighted by the African Travel & Tourism Association (ATTA), citing a communiqué sent yesterday (Monday, August 15) by the organisers of Africa’s Travel Indaba. ATTA said after a very…
Air Algerie (AH) has announced it will recommence flights and increase frequencies from Algiers to several destinations NEW! Algiers (ALG) – Doha (DOH), Qatar – twice weekly – as of August 4th, 2022 For more information on flights check your GDS. Air Algerie operates to 35 domestic and 44 international destinations, covering 28 countries in…
Zambia may be under the radar by comparison with safari destinations such as South Africa and Kenya, but its commitment to wildlife is impressive. One third of it is devoted to game reserves, some of them the size of Switzerland. What it has long been known for is its mid-range and budget hotel scene. Now…
Mohahlaula Airlines has revealed plans to launch a local Lesotho airline within the next year. The operation will initially service the Maseru to Johannesburg route with plans to extend to other destinations in South Africa. Mohahlaula Airlines is one of two Lesotho companies holding an airline operating certificate (AOC) which allows the company to apply…
Until a year ago, crossing the Zambezi River between Botswana and Zambia was a slow and congested affair. For trucks moving along a key transport corridor, stretching from Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to Durban, South Africa, the river was an obstacle without an elegant solution. Vehicles would load onto a pontoon,…
Evolve Back Gham Dhao Lodge, on the northern boundary of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve in Botswana, has recently upgraded and renovated a number of its facilities. The lodge’s airstrip is now compliant with the latest safety landing norms and is licensed for a maximum landing weight of 5 700kg. Visitors can bring their own aircraft or…
All restrictions against COVID 19 are now lifted. No more quarantine. No more PCR test on departure. No more antigen test upon arrival. No vaccination required. Visa for free for 15 days stay.
Two days after Kenya’s general election, officials had yet to announce who is leading the presidential race in East Africa’s regional powerhouse, as confused citizens struggled to make sense of divergent tallies from the media in a nail-bitingly close race. Media houses are compiling results from images of forms that the election commission uploaded on…
The Kafue National Park in Zambia is the latest reserve in Africa (of 89) to join the Unesco World Biosphere Network. The addition of Zambia, along with Georgia in Eastern Europe and Chad in central Africa, was announced recently by Audrey Azoulay, Director General of Unesco, who said: “I am delighted to see three new member…
The Indian Ocean island of Mauritius is seeing huge demand from international visitors, including the South African market and new source markets such as the Middle East. Tourism Update discovered this on a Constance Hotels educational visit to the east coast of the island late last month, with the hotels noting that they were experiencing high…
The 31st of July, 2022 marked the conclusion of the successful translocation of 263 elephants and 431 additional wildlife from Liwonde National Park to Kasungu National Park in Malawi. The translocation was undertaken by Malawi’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) in partnership with African Parks and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), in an effort to…
Starting October 15, 2022, Airlink will offer a weekly service between Johannesburg (JNB) and St Helena Island (HLE). The flight will operate every Saturday with a modern 98-seat Embraer E-190 jetliner making a fuel stop at Walvis Bay on the Namibian coast on the west-bound flight only. St Helena Island is known for the abundance…
The Bushcamp Company pays tribute and says farewell to our great friend, and much loved colleague, Phil Berry, who sadly passed away in the USA on the 30th July. Phil was a remarkable man… an incredibly knowledgeable guide, outstanding naturalist and tireless conservationist who devoted his life to the wildlife and people of Zambia’s Luangwa Valley.…
Delta Air Lines is adding a brand-new nonstop flight from Cape Town to Atlanta, effective December 18. These direct flights will complement the airline’s existing service between Johannesburg and Atlanta, and will operate three times weekly. The new Cape Town flights will operate using the airline’s new, state-of-the-art Airbus A350-900, with all four Delta cabin…
Southern Sun has announced the rebranding of the InterContinental Sandton to Sandton Towers, which reopened this week. This landmark hotel on the Sandton skyline, together with the Sandton Sun hotel, will be operated as one destination complex, integrated into the Sandton City Shopping Centre Diamond Walk. Accommodating guests for business, leisure, groups or conferencing travel,…
Asilia Africa has opened Usangu Expedition Camp, a new luxury tented camp, in the remote corner of Tanzania’s Ruaha National Park. The seasonal camp, on the banks of Usangu wetlands, is the first tourism operation in the area. It operates from June to November and accommodates a maximum of eight guests. The four solar-powered guest…
Welcome to Zambia – the land of the legendary African walking safari, Victoria Falls, the wild Zambezi River, abundant wildlife, and raw wilderness, all in one friendly country. Zambia is blessed with awe-inspiring natural wonders, an abundance of wildlife, huge water bodies and vast open spaces offering unforgettable holidays exploring the real Africa. You are…
The Magical Kenya Travel Expo (MKTE) is set for a physical return from October 5-7 after a two-year hiatus occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic. Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) Chief Executive Officer, Betty Radier says that the 2022 expo is expected to attract participation from about 30 countries from across the globe. “We have not been…
Airlink, Southern Africa’s premier airline, will launch nonstop service between Cape Town and Maputo in Mozambique starting August 31, 2022. The service between the two coastal cities will operate 3 times a week using the modern and efficient Embraer 135 regional jet. Flight schedule For more information check your GDS. Airlink’s Route Network Airlink currently…
Air Mauritius has confirmed it will resume non-stop flights between Cape Town and Mauritius from November 16, operated with its A350/A330neo aircraft. The flights will depart from Cape Town at 22h05 on Wednesdays and Sundays, and arrive in Mauritius at 05h10 the next morning. Nooriena Davids, Acting Regional Manager Southern Africa and Latin America, tells Travel…
As the Government of Uganda seeks to prioritise water transportation tourism on Lake Victoria, cruise operator Nyanza Evergreen Waterways has opened a new regular weekly route between the capital, Kampala, and the country’s adventure destination, Jinja. Water-based transport, utilising the vast expanse of Africa’s largest lake, has been identified as not only a cost-effective alternative to…
Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) and Rwanda Development Board (RDB) have signed a six-month agreement with QA Venue Solutions to open and manage Nyandungu Eco-Park. QA Venue Solutions is a pan-African venue solutions provider in the event venue, entertainment & hospitality industry in South Africa and Rwanda. From a degraded wetland to an educational and recreational eco-park in…
With 65% of the Seychelles’ GDP dependent on tourism, the training of tourism and hospitality staff is a crucial factor for the recovery of the sector post-COVID. As Hilton Hotels continues to expand its Seychelles footprint, it is aiming to train at least 200 new tourism and hospitality graduates at the Fitir Academy at Hilton…
After a closely fought contest over the last remaining rights for US carriers to fly to Cape Town, both Delta and United have emerged victorious. There were four frequencies available to US carriers of the total of 21, and both carriers had applied for thrice-weekly flights. The applications by the two airlines resulted in the…
As destinations around the globe accelerate tourism sector recovery efforts following more than two years of the pandemic and related restrictions, South African Tourism released an encouraging report highlighting that for the first time, the US was its top source market for overseas travel. In 2021, the US bested the UK who has held this…
Adrift, the Uganda-based adventure brand associated with Lemala Camps and Lodges, has announced the expansion of its range of activities, along with the opening of its two new Adrift-branded properties close to Lemala Wildwaters. The two new child-friendly facilities at Adrift Overland Camp and Adrift River Club are on the western banks of the River Nile, two hours east of Kampala. Adjacent to the…
Get your credit card out and your favorite booking platforms at the ready: US magazine and news website TIME has just released its list of the world’s 50 greatest places of 2022. The list was compiled by its international network of correspondents and contributors, and, says TIME in a statement, “with an eye toward those offering…
Victoria Falls has become the first inclusive destination in Zimbabwe, and Africa, catering for visually impaired members of society locally and globally. The historic milestone was launched last week by the Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry in conjunction with Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, Vic Falls City Council and Airports…
It looks as though SA Express may finally have run out of runway. According to a News24 report on July 13, the Air Services Council has cancelled all licences and related route rights currently allocated to this clearly defunct airline, with immediate effect. The Licensing Council has already come under fire over the past year for the fact…
Cultural tourism has the potential to diversify Tanzania’s wildlife safari, mountain climbing and beach offerings, a key US Travel Agent has said. Ms Welcome Jerde, who is in the northern tourism circuit with a group of 18 tourists, said that Tanzania, home to 120 ethnic tribes, could brand culture as a tourism product. “Personally, I love Tanzania,…
The Government of Zambia and African Parks (AP) have signed a 20-year agreement in a commitment to secure the protection and effective management of Kafue National Park. Zambia Ministry of Tourism Permanent Secretary, Evans Muhanga, said by collaborating with African Parks, the Government of Zambia was confident that the partnership would protect Kafue’s valuable landscape for…
Seeking out the picture-perfect view of a new location is often a priority for travellers and people moving to a new city, so Remitly analysed over 1.4 million TripAdvisor reviews to find which attractions had left visitors talking about its view most regularly. Offering 360-degree views of the Cape Peninsula and Cape Town harbour, Table…
Lift Airlines, South Africa’s youngest airline, had wagered its future on steady organic growth in the shadows of Comair, the largest private airline in South Africa, and operator of Kulula.com and the BA franchise. Then Covid-19 threw the industry into turmoil. Jonathan Ayache, CEO and co-founder of Lift Airlines speaks to The Africa Report about…
Fastjet Zimbabwe inaugurated its new service from Victoria Falls to Maun when the first flight took place on Thursday, June 30. The service will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. The new route, which provides more packaging opportunities for tour operators, links two more of the region’s premier wildlife destinations and two global icons –…