Seychelles will welcome vessels with a maximum of 300 passengers for the 2021-2022 cruise ship season from mid-November, said a top official, the first port calls to the island nation after an 18-month stoppage due to COVID-19 restrictions. Pent-up demand in the industry means the archipelago in the western Indian Ocean has interest from cruise operators through…
Seychelles will receive a storage facility needed for Pfizer’s version of the Covid-19 vaccine on Saturday in time for a consignment soon to arrive in the country, President Wavel Ramkalawan said in his third live news conference. Ramkalawan told media representatives on Thursday that the country is recording some success with the continued downward trend…
South African researchers are calling on the Malawian government to stop deforestation in Mikundi, in the south of the country. According to researchers from the South African National Biodiversity Institute, the loss of vegetation cover in the Mikundi area could lead to the extermination of the Chapman’s pygmy chameleon. One of the world’s rarest animals,…
Next Pathology will open its rapid PCR testing facility at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport on Thursday, August 5. The testing centre promises a swift turnaround time of only two hours for delivery of results. It is situated in the Kafue Room on the ground floor of the InterContinental Hotel, OR Tambo, which is outside…
The Zimbabwean Cabinet has approved measures to reopen the country to tourists arriving by road. It announced last week that its Victoria Falls and Kazungula land border posts would be reopened to tourists who were fully vaccinated. Operators are welcoming the move and clarify that no quarantine requirements are currently in place for international tourists,…
Delta Air Lines has resumed its Atlanta-Johannesburg service, with the arrival of the first inbound flight in the late afternoon of Monday, August 2. The service, which was first launched by Delta in December 2006, will initially operate three times weekly. Inbound flights will depart Atlanta on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays at 19h00 and arrive…
The SA Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) has confirmed that it has concluded SAA’s Air Operator Certificate (AOC) renewal. This was the final hurdle that, according to the airline, needed to be completed before it could restart its operations. This should pave the way for SAA to end the speculation and announce its routes and the…
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated its coronavirus travel risk map on its website, with Egypt being ranked as level two or “medium risk.” The assessment includes four levels, with four being the highest risk and one being the lowest. In the update, the CDC added 16 destinations to its “extremely…
Bob Duglin, ASTA’s vice president of international membership and host agencies and managing director of the ASTA Small Business Network, died Sunday at home in Fort Lauderdale. Duglin joined the Society more than 10 years ago, according to CEO Zane Kerby, when he was hired by Scott Koepf (at the time, the president of the…
Air Seychelles is making a comeback to the island nation of Mauritius in October, following an 18-month absence. The airline will begin flights on October 3rd, thanks to the announcement of the full reopening of the borders from October 1st. Air Seychelles will fly its A320neo on the route with twice-weekly services going forward. Mauritius…
Located in South Africa’s cosmopolitan financial hub, Radisson RED Johannesburg Rosebank is nestled in one of its trendiest business nodes, the leafy Rosebank, and is just a few minutes’ walk from the Gautrain station and the high-end retail and shopping precinct, which includes Rosebank Mall. With a recent surge in developments, Rosebank is now home to various…
On 27 July 2021, 14 African Wild Dogs (Lycaon pictus) were translocated successfully from South Africa and Mozambique to Liwonde National Park and Majete Wildlife Reserve, in an historic project to reintroduce this endangered and iconic species to Malawi. The translocation was undertaken through a collaboration between the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) and African Parks, which manages Liwonde…
After months of anticipation, APTA’s brand new “Explore Africa” webinar series has finally kicked off and has been heralded an international success story with praise pouring in from sea to shining sea and from across the far reaches of the Serengeti, Maasai Mara and impenetrable forests of Uganda. Has there ever been a more celebrated,…
South African airline Mango has suspended all flights until further notice. This follows Tuesday’s flight interruptions and delays. Reuters reported on Monday that Mango will enter into a local form of bankruptcy protection known as business rescue. The airline’s acting CEO, William Ndlovu, said in a statement that the reason for the suspension was due…
IHG Hotels & Resorts, one of the world’s leading hotel companies, is expanding its presence in Egypt with four new Hotel Indigo branded properties. As part of a Management Agreement signed with real-estate specialists Mountain View, IHG will introduce the world’s first globally branded boutique hotel brand, Hotel Indigo, to Egypt with Hotel Indigo Mountain View…
Lufthansa Group’s newest airline, Eurowings Discover (Flight 4Y143), departed Frankfurt on Saturday evening (July 24) for its inaugural flight to Mombasa, Kenya, and after an hour stopover, continued on to Zanzibar, Tanzania on Sunday (July 25). The inaugural flight – on an Airbus 330-200 – was captained by Wolfgang Raebiger, who is also CEO of Eurowings…
South African National Parks (SANParks) has announced that Ndabenhle David Simelane has become the first black Chief Pilot for SANParks Air Services. SANParks Chief Operating Officer Lize McCourt, said: “Simelane’s most recent promotion sees him moving from the rank of pilot to SANParks Chief Pilot and Person Responsible for Operations as per the South African Civil Aviation Authority’s…
With travel somewhat picking up and President Cyril Ramaphosa moving the country into adjusted alert level 3, South African airlines are capitalising on air travel demand by offering new routes. Low-cost carrier FlySafair is one of the latest airlines to launch a new route. The airline will offer flights between Bloemfontein and Cape Town from…
The APTA Executive Board is excited to announce the launch of our 3 part webinar series starting next week. This diverse, virtual series will feature some of our incredible Corporate Members and will include everything from Africa’s tropical Seychelles and Maldives to Egypt, Kenya and beyond. This is not your typical webinar series. We know…
As Tanzania gets prepared for the influx of tourists after Covid-19 pandemic, spectacular black rhino tourism has been launched. The Rhino Sanctuary is at Mkomazi National Park ‘The Home of Black Rhinos’ that extends in Kilimanjaro and Tanga regions, overlooking Mount Kilimanjaro in the north and Tsavo West National Park. The first Africa’s wildlife park…
Qatar Airways has joined Tourism Seychelles in a strategic marketing partnership to support tourism recovery in the country. In anticipation of the increased demand for travel to the Seychelles, Qatar Airways has increased its flights to the island destination from three a week to daily, using a Boeing 787 Dreamliner with 22 seats in business…
Recent changes in Botswana’s lockdown regulations have caused some confusion for tourists visiting the country. But the Hospitality and Tourism Association of Botswana (Hatab) has now released a statement confirming that travellers only have to present a PCR negative test result not older than 72 hours on boarding, and do a rapid test at the…
Air France will start flights to Zanzibar, via Nairobi, from October 18. The flights will operate twice weekly using a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. On Mondays and Fridays, flight AF0836 will depart Paris-Charles De Gaulle at 23h45 and arrive in Nairobi at 08h55 the next day. It will depart at 10h35 and arrive in Zanzibar at…
RwandAir has become the first sub-Saharan airline to launch a loyalty partnership with Qatar Airways. The two carriers have joined to offer RwandAir Dream Miles and Qatar Airways Privilege Club loyalty members access to each other’s destinations with the opportunity to earn points across their reciprocal route networks. Under the new deal, RwandAir Dream Miles…
Tanzania will host the East African Community (EAC) regional tourism expo in October, the country’s Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism Damas Ndumbaro announced Friday. The tourism expo will be held in the northern tourist city of Arusha, Ndumbaro told a virtual meeting of the EAC Council of Ministers for Tourism. Ndumbaro said Tanzania offered…
Ethiopian Airlines Group, the largest Pan-African airline, has become Africa’s top airline in passenger and freight traffic retaining its leadership position in the continent. According to the African Airlines Association’s (AFRAA) report, Ethiopian has been ranked first by passenger and cargo traffic in 2020. Ethiopian carried 500 thousand tons of freight and 5.5 million passengers…
The South African tourism industry is mourning the loss of a ballooning legend. Bill Harrop, the founder of Bill Harrop’s Original Balloon Safaris, has died of Covid-19 complications only five days after his wife, Mary’s death. Tributes have been streaming in from all over the country with people remembering Bill Harrop’s sense of humour, his wit…
The lifting of travel restrictions across the world is giving a bullish outlook for Tanzania’s tourism industry which has seen its earnings from tourism at an 11-year low, official data shows. Tanzania’s tourism earnings took a hit in the past two years as the world imposed travel restrictions to avoid spread of the viral Covid-19…
Comair is suspending all kulula.com and BA Comair flights for three weeks in light of the new adjusted level four lockdown regulations, which prohibit non-essential domestic travel in and out of Gauteng. The move is hot on the heels of a similar announcement of suspended July flights made by domestic airline, LIFT, also announced this…
Following an aggressive vaccination program that enabled it to become the world’s first nation to achieve COVID-19 herd immunity, Seychelles is re-open to the world and ready to welcome travelers for their post-COVID vacations. Join the Seychelles Tourism Board for a one hour session reintroducing the Seychelles and all its 115 islands have to offer…
Botswana properties are seeing an increase in bookings as travellers return to the country for photographic safaris. Toby Jermyn, Director of Pangolin, says: “The Pangolin Chobe Hotel has returned to pre-pandemic levels of occupancy for June as wildlife photographers have raced back to make the most of Botswana’s extraordinary wildlife and photo opportunities with the…
RwandAir will resume flights between London Heathrow and Kigali on July 10. The Kigali/Brussels/London service will operate initially once a week on Saturdays and a second flight will be added on Tuesdays on July 20.
South Africa has entered at least two weeks of strict lockdown to combat a devastating third wave of Covid-19 linked to the more transmissible Delta variant. The country is experiencing a massive surge in infections, President Cyril Ramaphosa said as he announced the new wideranging lockdown during a nationwide address on Sunday. The third wave…
Kenya Airways has increased its flights to the United States to three times a week, up from one. The flights will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Effective June, July, August and December, Flight KQ002 departs Nairobi at 23h35 and arrives in New York 07h35 the next day. The return flight KQ003 departs New York…
Eswatini Airlink and its operating partner, Airlink – the South African-based domestic and regional airline – have cancelled flights tomorrow between Johannesburg and Sikhuphe’s King Mswati III International Airport, due to civil unrest in Eswatini. “In the interest of the safety and security of our customers and staff, and in consultation with our partner Airlink, we have decided to…
While much has been said about how the opening of the new Kazungula bridge, which connects Zambia and Botswana, will facilitate flow of trade in Southern Africa, the bridge is also strategically poised to grow tourism in the surrounding Kaza area through easier connectivity for travellers. The 923m Kazungula bridge, which cost US$260m and crosses…
Seychelles Tourism is in for big changes starting September 1. STB CEO Sherin Francis promoted to Principal Secretary for a new Department of Tourism Republic Seychelles. Minister of Foreign Affairs and Tourism combines resources to promote, lead, and regulate tourism in Seychelles more effectively. The Seychelles Minister of Foreign Affairs and Tourism, the Hon. Sylvestre…
Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA) announced last Friday, June 25, that its ‘Resort Holidays’ scheme was going full steam ahead, on schedule, with effect from July 15. The scheme is Phase 1 of Mauritius’s reopening for tourism. It allows fully vaccinated travellers to enjoy a ‘Resort Holiday’ without leaving the resort for 14 days. It…
Qatar Airways will launch flights from Doha to Lusaka, Zambia, and onwards to Harare, Zimbabwe, on August 6. The route will operate three times per week on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. “Africa continues to be an area of strong growth for Qatar Airways and launching this service will support the development of the economy and…
Seychelles along with other African countries is set to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine through a donation from the United States (US) under the COVAX programme. The American President, Joe Biden, announced last week that the United States will purchase and donate 500 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine produced in his country to 92 low and…
Namibia has introduced stricter COVID-19 regulations in the wake of increasing new infections, hospitalisations and deaths recorded over the past few weeks. Namibian President, Hage Geingob, noted earlier this week that the country, with a population of 2.5 million people, had surpassed the 1 000 mark of deaths attributable to COVID-19 infections. The country has the…
Delta Air Lines is set to make a return to South Africa on August 1, saying there is rapidly growing demand States-side for holidays in South Africa, which it sees as a highly sought-after destination. On June 9, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) moved South Africa from risk alert Level 4 to…
The coronavirus pandemic has brought with it great changes to the travel industry and Tanzania is no exception. Join the Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (TATO) for an interactive webinar highlighting the current situation in Tanzania and the steps the country is taking to get its tourism business back-on-track. This session will also feature an…
Departing travelers: Outgoing travelers must obtain a negative COVID-19 certificate in accordance with the trusted Traveler (TT) Initiative (www.africacdc.org/trusted-travel) and the PanaBios system (www.panabios.org). Travelers who intend to depart Kenya must first visit an authorized laboratory (according to the government of Kenya, all PCR COVID-19 testing laboratories are now part of the TT system), obtain a…
Ethiopian Airlines Group, Africa’s largest carrier, has started operating flights with fully vaccinated crew against COVID-19 to keep travelers safe in light of the pandemic. Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam said “We are pleased to operate flights with fully vaccinated crew – a significant step in protecting our employees’ and customers’ health safety. We…
Tanzania has reduced the price of the Tourism Business Licence (TALA) for tour operators, as announced by Finance and Planning Minister Mwigulu Nchemba. The fee for local travel agents and tour operators will be reduced from TZS4.6m (€1 680) per year to TZS1.1m (€420) per year. The licence fee has been disputed by many local tour…
The pioneer Covid-19 specimen collection center at Serengeti National Park has started stimulating new bookings, key tourism players have reported. “For a month now, we have seen a surge of new bookings with our prospective tourists citing the pioneer Covid-19 specimen collection center at Serengeti as the factor that encourages them to book safari” says…
Mauritius will reopen to vaccinated tourists from mid-July, but South Africans, even if they have received their jabs, will still not be allowed to enter the island nation. As the global vaccination rollout continues to gather momentum, South African holidaymakers have hoped to see the easing of travel restrictions and a reopening of borders. But a recent…
World Oceans Day, commemorated on June 8, is used to raise awareness about the ocean, which covers over 70 percent of the planet, and its utmost importance to life on earth. It is our life source, supporting humanity’s sustenance and that of every other organism on earth. The ocean produces at least 50 percent of…
On June 7th the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) downgraded Malawi’s COVID-19 risk to level 1, which is the lowest possible level. This new positions Malawi to begin welcoming back American tourists and demonstrates the country’s success in combatting the COVID-19 virus.