Join the Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (TATO) for a webinar introduction of Tanzania’s FAM trip program which seeks to bring members of the travel trade to experience Tanzania’s world-class safari based experiences first-hand. During this webinar session you’ll hear from TATO leadership on the 2021 FAM program and what to expect in 2022. TATO…
The Okavango Spirit, a houseboat that will give visitors a new way to view the abundant game and wildlife of Botswana’s Okavango Delta, is due to be launched in April 2022 by Natural Selection. The houseboat will spend its nights moored along the banks of the Okavango River in an area that is recognised as being…
Madagascar government has just announced the opening of its borders to international travelers after 20 months of closure. It will be done in 2 steps: For the Indian Ocean islands, flights from Mauritius and Reunion will resume on October 23rd . For the rest of the world mainly European countries, the border will open by November…
The Limpopo Department of Economic Development and Tourism is revisiting earlier plans to plans to open a new gate and a tourism activity hub in the Kruger National Park. The new entrance, Shangoni, will be situated between the towns Giyani and Malamulele. Limpopo Minister of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism, Thabo Mokone, said the budget for…
Africa Showcase is next week – Oct 20-21st – and this year’s event will include an innovative live-networking format that doesn’t require you to spend time pre-scheduling meetings. OnShow has designed the event to span two days where one day’s timing is geared toward’s the East Coast and one towards the West Coast. Feel free…
Emirates and SAA have reactivated their long-standing codeshare aimed at increasing connectivity for both carriers. A media release from SAA says the two carriers have been working toward increasing alignment across products, services and reactivation of synergies between loyalty programmes. SAA-coded and Emirates-operated routes between South Africa and Dubai are now available on a single…
The government has outlined that the U.S.$576 million Rapid Credit Facility (RCF) from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will be used to implement development projects in the education, water, health and tourism sectors, with President Samia Suluhu Hassan warning that she will not tolerate misappropriation of the funds. Economists have expressed their high hopes on…
Virgin Atlantic (VS) plans to reinstate a direct flight between London and Cape Town as early as January. Frequencies are to be confirmed but meantime the airline has noted an immediate spike in bookings on its Johannesburg route for travel in December and January following the announcement that South Africa would be removed from the…
Southern African regional carrier, Airlink, is set to launch a new, direct, three-times weekly service between Johannesburg and Luanda from October 21. Tickets are already on sale. “The South Africa-Angola corridor has been under-served, given its crucial commercial and economic importance. By establishing this service, Airlink is providing customers with more affordable competitive choices on…
The Capital 15 on Orange in Cape Town has opened its doors to families, business travellers and long-stay guests after a R20 million (€1.2m) refurbishment and upgrade project. The latest property to join The Capital Hotels and Apartments portfolio, the hotel’s 129 newly converted one- and two-bedroom apartments, up to 120 sqm in size, offer…
The world has gained a new weapon in the war on malaria, among the oldest known and deadliest of infectious diseases: the first vaccine shown to help prevent the disease. By one estimate, it will save tens of thousands of children each year. Malaria kills about half a million people each year, nearly all of…
Tanzania has opened a new chapter in Sport Tourism after the official launch of Golf Tourism Tanzania over the weekend. Launching the new tourism product at the Kilimanjaro Golf course, Usa River, Arusha yesterday, Chief Guest, the Kenyan Minister of Tourism and Wildlife, Najib Balala commended Tanzania for entering this important step of using golf…
Emirates has signed a new multi-year, worldwide distribution agreement with Sabre Corporation. From October 05, 2021, all travel agencies using GDS Sabre (1S) and Abacus (1B) will have access to surcharge-free Emirates’ content. As we move towards next year, Sabre and Emirates will also offer agency partners a choice of different levels of participation, including…
Africa Showcase is coming Oct 20-21st and this year’s event will include an innovative live-networking format that doesn’t require you to spend time pre-scheduling meetings. We have also designed the event to span two days where one day’s timing is geared toward’s the East Coast and one towards the West Coast. Feel free to sign…
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement that SA is moving to adjusted alert level 1 means cruise tourism to the country can resume. The first cruise ship is scheduled to dock at the Cape Town Cruise Terminal in the V&A Waterfront on 18 November and a further 36 ships are expected between November 2021 and May 2022,…
With South African Airways (SAA) resuming operations, Emirates has been working closely with SAA to reactivate its long-standing partnership which aims to improve the customer experience and provide more value to travellers when flying on both carriers. The move also helps cement SAA’s standing and position and will build growth momentum as the carrier initially…
APTA has joined forces with Africa Showcase to present this year’s Africa Showcase Online North America 2021! This year’s show will take place virtually on 20-21 October. This year’s event will include an innovative live-networking format that doesn’t require you to spend time pre-scheduling meetings. Africa Showcase has also designed the event to span two days where one day’s timing is…
United Airlines and regional airline, Airlink, have forged a new codeshare agreement that will offer customers more connections between the US and Southern Africa than any other airline alliance, according to a press release from the two carriers. The new agreement (subject to government approvals) will give United’s travellers from the US one-stop connections to…
The world’s longest zipline, more than 3km long and up to 500m high, is coming to Caledon, next to the N2 and just an hour’s drive from Cape Town. Installation of the zipline, named the K3, commences this month and it should be operational later in the 2021/22 summer season. The project is a joint…
TAAG Angola Airlines has announced the gradual resumption of its international flight operations. From early October, the carrier will resume flights to Johannesburg, Cape Town, Windhoek and Maputo. Below is a summary of the new schedule from Luanda, with the start date: Johannesburg on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays – October 5 Cape Town on Thursdays…
To update the trade on developments in Seychelles, Tourism Seychelles is organising a Virtual Travel Expo on October 12 and 13. During the Expo, the trade can meet and chat to 15 exhibitors from Seychelles, including resorts, hotels, DMCs, Air Seychelles and South African tour operators offering packages to the islands. Who is invited to…
The Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (TATO) observed World Tourism Day by calling on players in the entire tourism value chain to be proactive in its painstaking efforts to see that nobody is left behind as the industry begins to rebound. TATO has been working around the clock to devise urgent measures to help revive…
The Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA) has launched a new grading system to ensure quality-assured accommodation and facilities that are accredited and graded by TGCSA to comply with international standards. “South Africa takes service excellence very seriously. The gradual recovery of travel since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has instilled some renewed…
Following months of preparation after exiting business rescue, South African Airways (SAA) resumes both domestic and regional Africa service. The carrier’s first scheduled flight is an early morning take-off from OR Tambo International in Johannesburg to Cape Town International on September 23rd and is one of three return flights per day between the two cities.…
VIRTUAL EXPO 05 – 06 OCT 2021 #MKTE2021 https://mkte.co.ke/ 2 Day Virtual Experience Pre-scheduled appointments 4 Market Presentations to reignite source markets 4 Power Panels with industry thought leaders 4 Speed Networking events 2 Business Buzz sessions to meet trade 100 African Exhibitors from across East Africa Media interviews with global media Over 200 pre-qualified…
From October 4, Uganda Airlines will launch flights between Entebbe and Dubai using its recently acquired Airbus A330neo. The flights will operate initially on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays. On Mondays, flight UR444 will depart Entebbe at 11h25 arrive in Dubai at 17h25. The return flight UR445 will depart from Dubai at 20h00 and arrive in…
The rehabilitation and expansion of Namibia’s flagship airport, Hosea Kutako International in Windhoek, is set for completion by the end of the month. Namibia Airports Company spokesperson, Dan Kamati, said the work on the airport, amounting to N$95m (€5.5m), would elevate it to meet global standards set by other airport terminals around the world. According to The Namibian, the…
The Malawi Ministry of Health released a statement recently confirming that the country’s borders have now reopened to all international travellers, with remaining travel restrictions and quarantine requirements lifted. Malawi originally closed its borders in June to everyone except Malawi residents and citizens in an effort to limit the impact of a third wave of…
Emirates is increasing flight frequencies to a number of US destinations from October. The airline has been building up connectivity in response to growing customer demand on the back of rising travel confidence and the easing of international travel protocols. There has also been a growing interest from US travellers to visit Dubai, a city…
South Africa is already home to a host of unique travel experiences, but soon you can walk the sky at God’s Window Skywalk in the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve. Dubbed as the first skywalk of its kind in South Africa, and one of a very few to have been built around the world, the…
Visitor arrivals to Seychelles in 2021 surpassed the 100,000 mark on Sunday, an important milestone showing that efforts made by the government and tourism partners are bearing fruit, a high tourism official said. To celebrate the moment, passengers arriving in the island nation from Tel Aviv, Israel on board El Al’s flight LY055 were treated…
The Seychelles’ national carrier, Air Seychelles, plans to resume flights to Johannesburg, South Africa as of September 24, the airline announced on Tuesday. The return of Air Seychelles to South Africa comes after the local Ministry of Health lifted travel restrictions between the two countries. Commercial flights had been suspended for several months due to…
Visitors from South Africa are again allowed to enter Seychelles, as of September 13, after the Ministry of Health removed the country from its restricted list. Following a Sunday update made to the Health Entry and Stay Conditions for Travellers, entry and stay conditions will not be affected by the COVID-19 vaccination status of visitors. Visitors however…
Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) announced today the opening of Hyatt Regency Cairo West. The 250-room hotel marks Hyatt’s return to Cairo and strengthens its growing brand footprint in North Africa. As part of the Hyatt Regency brand, the hotel is designed with productivity in mind to deliver seamless experiences and an energizing hub for both…
East Africa has seen a positive turnaround in its recovery strategy for the tourism sector owing to the conscious efforts by East African Community (EAC) Partner States to work together in promoting growth in the sector. The sector has benefited from “significant” private-sector investments in hotels, transportation, marketing and product development, and dedicated government efforts…
A raging veld fire that broke out last week in the Mabuasehube area on the Botswana side of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, has destroyed Polentswa Lodge, a nine-unit tented camp. The fire was successfully contained on the South African side on Saturday morning (September 11) but it is reportedly still burning on the Botswana side…
Kenya is set to host the 2021 Magical Kenya Travel Expo (MKTE) virtually between 5th and 6th of October 2021. The annual event which was postponed in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic is the largest tourism fair in the region and is set to bring together domestic, regional and international tour operators, travel agents,…
Radisson Hotel Group, one of the world’s leading hotel companies, has set a record in its North African expansion, with the signing of nine hotels, to date this year. This has boosted the group’s North Africa portfolio, comprising the Maghreb countries along with Libya and Egypt, to over 30 hotels in operation and under development,…
A new coronavirus variant, C.1.2, has been detected in South Africa and a number of other countries, with concerns that it could be more infectious and evade vaccines, according to a new preprint study by South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases and the KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform. The study is awaiting peer review. Scientists first…
In 2019, Africa was deemed the second fastest growing tourism region in the world. Travel contributed $194 billion to the continent’s gross domestic product, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council. South Africa, Egypt, and Nigeria had made the largest tourism contributions to GDP, and Tunisia and Rwanda showed over 10 percent growth, ranking among the…
Air Senegal operated its first flights between the US and Dakar, Senegal this past week. Twice weekly service on Thursdays and Sundays is available from New York’s JFK Airport and Baltimore/Washington Airport (BWI) with convenient connections to many of Air Senegal’s regional routes JFK/BWI to Dakar Starting at $ 906* roundtrip, all in Find out…
Kenya will next month host a virtual international tourism fair bringing influential travel trade representatives from more than 50 key tourism market countries across the globe to help market the country as a tourist destination, organizers said on Wednesday. Najib Balala, Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary said the Magical Kenya Travel Expo (MKTE) set to…
The highest urban bar in Africa, on the 57th floor of The Leonardo in Sandton, opened this past weekend. Named Alto234, the space can accommodate up to 100 people across seven seating areas and offers 360-degree views of Sandton and Johannesburg. Entry costs R300 (€18) per person. Both the drinks and food on offer, which…
A new luxury tented eco-camp, Khwai Expeditions Camp, has opened in the Khwai Village, east of the Okavango Delta. The six luxury tents and one family cottage, which sleeps two adults and two children, are built on raised platforms and feature a balcony with a view of the seasonal lagoon. The en-suite tents have indoor…
The Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife is targeting to raise Ksh100 Million during the upcoming inaugural Magical Kenya Tembo Naming Festival. This was said by Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala when he received contributions towards the initiative from 4 organizations: East Africa Safari Rally, Chandaria Foundation, Oltukai Lodges and African Wildlife Foundation at…
The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has begun implementation of its electronic visa system (e-Visa) to 15 countries. The implementation would be released in a phased approach, starting with Kenya and Cameroon, said DHA Chief Director of Port Control, Rika Anker, in a letter to the airline industry on Monday (September 6). She noted that only…
The Board of Directors of Wesgro – the official tourism, trade investment and film promotion agency for Cape Town and the Western Cape – has appointed Wrenelle Stander as CEO. After a “lengthy and rigorous” recruitment process, Stander takes over from Tim Harris as CEO of Wesgro. She will begin her tenure in October. Michael Spicer, Chairman of the Wesgro Board,…
A new airline, Fly Okavango, is set to launch flights and tour packages directly to Maun – the gateway to the Okavango Delta – from key source markets, the UK and the US. The flights are expected to start in November, using a Boeing 767-300ER and Airbus 340-500 on the routes. From the US, flights…
The inaugural Africa’s Travel and Tourism Summit (ATTS) – held as a hybrid event in five cities in Africa, including Durban, Johannesburg and Lagos, from September 19 to 21 – will showcase not only Africa’s attraction as a sought-after destination but highlight its business potential to the global travel industry. “Africa has, like the rest…
Kenya is looking to attract international luxury travellers as part of a strategy to revive the tourism sector and as part of expanding the tourism market basket. The absence of international tourists coupled with travel restrictions occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in reduced travel globally and travellers with specific preferences which are value…