With new flights on the horizon, an overhaul of traditional seasonality and improved traveler confidence, the future for Africa’s travel and tourism industry is looking up. This is in part thanks to American travelers, which African tourism has highlighted as one of the top three source markets leading the continent’s recovery. During a presentation at…
With immediate effect, the requirement of PCR testing by all incoming and outgoing travelers at Entebbe International Airport has been adjusted as follows: All in-bound and outbound travellers will be required to show proof of full COVID-19 vaccination, except for travellers aged 5 years and below. Requirement for negative PCR test done within 72 hours…
More options and more capacity between Johannesburg and Cape Town to Windhoek, Namibia Windhoek, Namibia’s capital city, is known for its modern, German influenced architecture, rich culture and welcoming people. It is a doorway into Africa’s wild landscapes with nature reserves, sand dunes and safari activities on the city’s outskirts. Why not book your customers…
TOA Hotel & Spa, a new luxury beach hotel on a private white-sand beach in Pongwe on the east coast of Zanzibar, is due to open in May. The hotel will offer 86 guestrooms, three swimming pools with ocean views, three bars, a restaurant, a spa with treatment rooms, a sun deck and a gym.…
Machaba Safaris will open Kiri Camp in the Okavango Delta in June. The new luxury tented camp is in a private concession on the Kiri River system, between the Boro and Kiri rivers. The camp is built on raised wooden decks with views of the Kiri floodplains which stretch out in front of the camp.…
Tanzania and the United States have pledged to promote and develop trade and tourism between the two countries following a meeting last Friday (April 15) between Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan and US Vice President, Kamala Harris. “Our administration is deeply committed to strengthening the ties in Tanzania and to African countries in general. The United States and…
Rwanda’s tourism revenue increased by 25% in 2021 – from US$131 million recorded in 2020 to US$164 million for 2021 – according to the Rwanda Development Board (RDB). Statistics released earlier this week by the RDB show that the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions sector generated US$12.5 million in 2021 compared with US$5.4 million in…
Delta Air Lines’ application to fly a triangular route between Atlanta, Johannesburg and Cape Town has finally been approved by national government – a move welcomed by the Western Cape government, which had reinstated an intergovernmental dispute process last month to ensure a speedy resolution. Western Cape Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities, David Maynier, said that while…
South Africa’s captivating coastlines and unique ecosystems attract millions of travellers every year. With tourism bringing in an estimated $10 billion (€ 8.2 billion) to the economy and employing millions throughout the country. However, South Africa’s tourism industry suffered a major setback in 2020, when COVID-19 reached the country’s shores. Before the pandemic, international visitors…
Malawi, in southeastern Africa, is often confused with Mali, or even the Maldives in the Indian Ocean — but it is working hard right now to change that. On my one visit there about 20 years ago I could see the reasons that, despite its natural beauty and wildlife opportunities, Malawi had yet to be…
Airlink’s new logo of a sunbird adorning the full size of the tail being applied to its 50 Embraer jets marks a decisive step in the company’s history. Previously the bird only flew over the top half of the empennage, inserted into the tail design of South African Airways (SAA), as Airlink had been operating…
The historic town of Zomba in southern Malawi is ready to be the backdrop of the second Zomba City Festival from April 29 to May 2. Venues will offer entertainment for all ages at various lodges and public spaces. There will be arts and culture, sports and kids’ activities spread throughout the town, including ‘Art in the…
TANZANIA is the home of the Number #1 Safari destination in the World and houses four of the most coveted adventure destinations on earth: the Serengeti, Mount Kilimanjaro, Zanzibar, and Ngorongoro Crater. TATO, Tanzania Association of Tour Operators, Tanzania’s leading members-only group advocating for over 300 private expert tour operators in Tanzania, will deploy a…
Malawi may become the tourism investment paradise in Africa. This was made clear after Malawi’s President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera last week Monday unveiled a $660 million tourism investment master plan. This plan will help map up the infrastructure development for this southeast African Nation. Malawi has no history of political instability and has all the…
Air arrivals to East Africa are set to surpass pre-pandemic levels by 8.8% in 2024, according to GlobalData, an international data and analytics company. Projected growth in air travel would be due to investment in airport infrastructure and East Africa’s global reputation as one of the world’s best ecotourism and wildlife destinations, said Craig Bradley, GlobalData…
Air Mauritius is now operating four flights a week between Mauritius and Madagascar. Flights started yesterday, April 7. The flights operate on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and both an Airbus A350-900 and an A330-900neo aircraft will be used on the route. Flight MK288 departs Mauritius at 14h20 and arrives in Antananarivo at 15h15. MK289…
Radisson Hotel Group has an ambitious African growth plan. The group has signed five new hotels across the continent so far this year, adding almost 600 rooms to its African portfolio. This year, the group aims to add more than a dozen hotels, reaching just over 100 hotels in operation and under development in Africa.…
Award-winning Celebrity Chef Siba Mtongana reached global recognition with her televised food show and internationally acclaimed cookbook but it was a while before she ventured into business by opening her own restaurant in 2020. At the outset of the pandemic, Mtongana opened Siba The Restaurant as a pop-up in The Table Bay hotel in Cape Town. And this year she…
Eswatini has reopened to all vaccinated international visitors without the need for a negative PCR test result. According to The Kingdom of Eswatini’s official tourism website, those entering the country must produce one of the following upon arrival: either a valid COVID-19 vaccination certificate or a valid negative PCR test result that is no older…
KLM has announced that it will increase the flight schedule between Cape Town and Amsterdam as a result of greater demand for flights between the cities. The airline has increased its flight schedule between Cape Town and Amsterdam to six flights per week and daily flights will commence from July 11. The flights depart Cape…
Airlink’s inaugural flight between Harare and Durban, using its modern Embraer ERJ135, arrived in Durban on Tuesday (April 5). Durban Direct, the KZN Route Development Committee, arranged a water cannon salute as the aircraft touched down with a full load of passengers, the first of thousands who are expected to boost trade and tourism between…
South African Airways is nearing the completion of processing ticket refund requests for customers whose travel plans were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in flight cancellations, border closures, and various travel restrictions. It has been South African Airways’ utmost desire to fulfill our commitment to provide a duty of care to our customers that…
Bush and Beyond is excited to announce the premiere of Land of the Living – the inspiring documentary featuring The Emakoko, Tangulia Mara Camp, Lewa House and Ol Malo. To quote the film’s director, Goh Iromoto, “The concept for this film originated out of personal loss over 6 years ago, and eventually, after a long…
The Ellen DeGeneres Campus of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund is now open to visitors! As of February 1, the general public can enjoy the campus’ exhibits and interactive learning tools. As the new permanent site of the Karisoke Research Center’s state-of-the-art facilities, this campus will also help researchers and conservationists make great strides in…
All travelers arriving into Kenya through any point of entry must have a certificate of COVID- 19 vaccination. The following categories of travelers are exempt from the requirement: Travelers with medical conditions precluding vaccination. Such persons shall be required to provide a letter from a recognized medical practitioner detailing the medical reason precluding vaccination. Travelers…
With effect from March 28, vaccinated arrivals no longer need to present a negative PCR test result to be granted entry to Zambia. Unvaccinated travellers, however, still need to submit a negative PCR test taken within the 72 hours prior to departure. Children aged 11 years and younger are exempt from having to present proof…
Zimbabwe had scrapped PCR for inbound vaccinated travellers. The Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting said in a tweet that a valid vaccination certificate showing travellers were fully vaccinated against COVID-19 would suffice. Custom Websites for the Travel Industry
Africa Showcase is the travel industry’s premiere destination to meet face-to-face with a selection of key travel providers from across the African continent. This year’s event will take place in-person April 5th in Ft Lauderdale, FL and April 7th in Los Angeles, CA. By participating in Africa Showcase you’ll have the opportunity to reconnect with top…
Starting April 2022 Airlink offers five weekly flights to Beira in Mozambique with quick access to Gorongosa National Park in the Great Rift Valley. The convenient flights from Johannesburg allow for a memorable African bush safari. Airlink flights are scheduled to provide convenient connections with its domestic and regional services as well as with long-haul…
Montebelo Hotels & Resorts has opened a new luxury beach resort, Montebelo Milibangalala Bay Resort, in Maputo National Park. The park is located in the south of Mozambique, about two and half hours from the center of Maputo and the city’s airport. The lodge is accessible by a 4×4 vehicle. The hotel offers twenty villas…
In a bid to construct and repair the bridges that had been affected by the weather changes, Uganda Wildlife Authority has issued a temporary halt on chimpanzee tracking in Kyambura for an approximate of three months.
Nigeria, the West African nation, will soon have a new national airline. Nigeria Air is due to make its scheduled flight by the middle of 2022. Let’s look at the planned airline, its operations and investigate how it intends to transform commercial aviation throughout Nigeria and beyond. A new Nigerian national carrier Nigeria is once again…
Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde Gebremariam, who transformed the airline into Africa’s biggest carrier, said on Wednesday he had resigned to focus on his medical treatment. In an internal memo to employees seen by Reuters he said he had had health issues for almost a year and had been working from the United States for the past…
Radisson Hotel Group has confirmed a transition in its African leadership team with the appointment of Bert Fol as regional director for Africa. He will have a focus on English speaking Africa. At the same time, Sandra Kneubuhler has been promoted to district director for South Africa, in addition to her role as country director…
The South African government has announced amendments to their Covid19 protocols, effective 23 March. This has positive effects for both South Africans travelling, and incoming international visitors. If you’re arriving in South Africa soon, here are a few changes to be aware of Fully vaccinated travellers arriving into South Africa no longer require a negative…
Tanzania has relaxed its COVID-19 measures, dropping off the requirement of a 72-hour negative RT PCR result and rapid antigen test for the fully vaccinated arrivals. Airlines flying to Tanzania are free to allow the travelers who are fully vaccinated to board their flights without necessarily carrying a negative PCR result certificate with them. Announcing…
Marriott International has signed an agreement with Baraka Lodges as its entry into the safari segment of the market in Africa. The JW Marriott Masai Mara Lodge will be located within the Mara National Reserve in the south east of Kenya, one of Africa’s most renowned wildlife conservation and wilderness regions. It expects to welcome…
Turkish Airlines will return to Durban from June 16, with a twice-weekly service linked to its Johannesburg flights. Industry watchers expect the flights to double to four a week in October, but this is still to be confirmed by the airline. Flights will operate on Thursdays (with an A350-900) and Saturdays (using an A330-300). From…
Botswana has eased Covid-19 requirements for foreigners wishing to enter the country, with those fully vaccinated against the virus now allowed to entry without needing to undergo mandatory testing at the border or airport. The Ministry of Health and Wellness said with effect from this past weekend, all those who have completed the required shots…
One of the most famous names in the safari industry, Nicky Fitzgerald, is to retire after an adventure-filled 40-year career. She is handing over the reins of Angama to its co-founder, the current COO, Steve Mitchell. This will take effect on July 1. The Fitzgeralds took over the Arniston Hotel in 1982 and since then, Nicky has…
After five months of closure following a fire at the central lodge in October last year, Camp Figtree Mountain Safari Lodge, in the Eastern Cape’s Greater Addo area, reopened its doors on March 18. Rising from the ashes is a completely rebuilt main lodge area with a state-of-the art new kitchen, a more spacious indoor…
Malawi, known fondly as the ‘Warm heart of Africa’, has opened all land and air borders to international visitors. As showcased in a recent African Travel and Tourism Association-hosted webinar, the country has a wide range of offerings for visitors, and pairs well with tours to neighbouring Zambia and Mozambique. One of its most well-known…
Fastjet Zimbabwe today launched flights from Zimbabwe’s tourism capital, Victoria Falls, to South Africa’s Mbombela Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport, which serves the Kruger National Park and other nearby wildlife reserves. The schedule services operate three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays using a 50-seater Embraer ERJ145 aircraft. Flights depart VFA at 10h30, arriving…
Namibia has relaxed COVID-19 measures and scrapped the requirement of a 72-hour negative PCR test result for vaxxed arrivals. Namibian President, Hage Geingob, said on Tuesday (March 15) that the new public health regulations would come into effect from midnight on March 16 until April 15. Minister of Health and Social Services, Kalumbi Shangula, said fully vaccinated…
The Republic of Mauritius has announced waiving off the requirement of producing a negative PCR test for all incoming visitors. Earlier, fully vaccinated travellers were also required to show a negative PCR test that had been taken within 72 hours before departure, to gain entry into Mauritius. Reports have it that the Ministry of Health…
Effective March 15, 2022, visitors over 18 years, having received the first two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine including a booster dose after 6 six months since completing the primary series; will be considered fully immunized. Fully immunization for visitors aged 12 to 18 years, necessitates the completion of only two vaccine doses. All fully…
South African Airways (SAA) has taken note of a decision by the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) to indefinitely ground all Comair flights in South Africa. Comair is the parent company that operates both the British Airways franchise and low-cost carrier Kulula in Southern Africa. As a result, demand for seats across all domestic airlines in South…
A proposed multi-million-dollar cable car plan on Mount Kilimanjaro is facing a litmus test following Tanzania Prime Minister Majaliwa Kassim Majaliwa doubting the feasibility of the controversial project. In March 2019, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism unveiled the plan to install cable cars on the Africa’s highest Mountain to attract more visitors and…
Since March 5, the following entry regulations apply for entry into Rwanda. All travellers must have a negative COVID-19 certificate – the only accepted test result is that of a PCR test performed in the 72 hours prior to departure. Other tests, such as Rapid Diagnostics Tests (RDTs), are not accepted. The test certificate is…
With effect from last Friday, March 4, travellers who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 may now travel into Zimbabwe across all land borders. Zimbabwe press report that the government has now put in place the necessary legal instruments in line with the latest Cabinet decision on the matter (taken two weeks ago) following the gazetting…