South African Airways (SAA) aims to resume flights in July or August, but the restart date will depend on how the COVID-19 pandemic progresses and whether the airline can resolve a pilot dispute, its chief executive said on Friday. State-owned SAA, which was put into administration in December 2019, has not flown commercially since September,…
The UAE and The Seychelles have announced the establishment of a new travel corridor for vaccinated holidaymakers, said Emirates news agency Wam. From Thursday, people will not have to quarantine on arrival in either country as long as they have a recognised vaccination certificate approved by the health authorities in the two nations. All travellers must continue…
A new wellness resort, Kisawa Sanctuary, has launched on Benguerra Island, Mozambique. The 14 bungalows, which include grouped bungalows, accommodate two people each and have their own beachfront, private infinity pool and day area, with an outdoor kitchen, cabana and a dedicated service team. Grouped bungalows feature larger swimming pools, decks and day areas. The…
Sky Bird Travel & Tours’ tours division, Sky Vacations, has added three new North Africa tours to its exciting collection of tour packages. Sky Vacations’ expertly crafted itineraries are known for delivering the best and most diverse experiences a destination has to offer, and it’s no surprise that people are reaching for its packages to…
Zimbabwe President, Emmerson Mnangagwa says the city of Victoria Falls has now achieved herd immunity following the vaccination of over 77 percent of its residents in the ongoing countrywide mass COVID-19 vaccination programme. Statistics released by Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Health and Child Care show that more than 19 243 people, against a target of 25 000, had received…
A new airline, Skylink Airways, has been established with the aim of filling the vacuum left by South African Airways (SAA). AeroTime Hub reported that Skylink Airways was founded by South African entrepreneur Clarence Andrea Steyn. Steyn told Aero Telegraph he has received backing from Russian and South African investors and has started hiring former SAA…
Only about two dozen trees from the Karomia gigas tree exist in its wild Tanzanian habitat. Its new flower is a hopeful sign for its survival. As far as the plant scientists at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis know, the tiny purple-and-white flower that recently grew in their greenhouse has never before been…
South Africa has taken steps to end its multimillion-dollar lion-breeding industry, which supplies cubs for tourism, lions for trophy hunts, and bones for traditional medicine. In a statement on May 2, Barbara Creecy, the minster of South Africa’s Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, acknowledged the “view that the captive lion breeding industry did not contribute…
Botswana and Zambia have inaugurated a road and rail bridge linking the two countries, marking the completion of a multimillion-dollar project aimed at easing congestion at border crossings and boosting trade. Stretching for 923 metres (some 3,000 feet) over the Zambezi River, the curved Kazungula bridge provides a long-needed alternative route for hauliers. “This will…
Tourism players are upbeat following heightened negotiation between Kenya and Tanzania that aims at bolstering trade between the two nations. Stakeholders said that apart from Kenya which has been cooperating with Uganda and Rwanda on tourism, Tanzania has had a frosty relation with Kenya. They said the recent state visit by Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan to…
City of Cape Town Mayor, Dan Plato, has approved a R3.9bn (€229.6m) expansion to the V&A Waterfront’s Canal District. The mixed-use development will lead to the creation of at least 1 100 jobs during the construction phase. This announcement follows the recent approval of the R14bn (€824.1m) mixed-use Harbour Arch Development, which will include the construction…
Ultimate Safaris has shown incredible talent and innovation in bringing to life camps that stand apart from the rest, and their newest, Onduli Ridge, lives up to their high standard. The planning for Onduli Ridge was undertaken with the intentional absence of engineers, architects and interior decorators, allowing nature and its boundaries to determine the camp’s…
In an exclusive interview with the Seychelles News Agency on Monday, the head of state of Seychelles – President Wavel Ramkalawan – said the island nation remains a safe destination for visitors and that the archipelego’s world-leading vaccination campaign has proven to be effective. President Ramkalawan said the Seychelles – 115 islands in the western…
The Table Mountain Aerial Cableway (TMAC) has launched a private cable car service. The new offering is ideal for those wishing to have an extra level of social distancing and privacy when hosting their event, special occasion or private group on top of Africa’s leading tourist attraction. “Our commitment has been, and will always be,…
In a press statement dated 30 April, The Republic of Uganda has announced that Americans who have received their full COVID-19 vaccination and are asymptomatic will be allowed into the country without the need for testing on arrival.
The facility was rolled out by the park authorities in collaboration with the Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (TATO). Chris Mears, the chief executive officer for the African Travel and Tourism Association (ATTA), sounded this appreciation in a letter to TATO CEO Sirili Akko, affirming that the opening of the Covid-19 testing centre at Seronera…
The African Union has developed a common continental Covid-19 digital passport for travelers and airlines. It is an initiative by African Union’s lead health agency, the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). The technology is known as Trusted Travel, a platform that will enable passengers across Africa to securely and easily verify compliance with Covid-19…
Seychelles Medical Services Pty, a new healthcare company registered in Seychelles opens the first state-of-the-art dedicated Covid-19 testing laboratory in Seychelles. The private facility is the second in Seychelles to provide exit Covid-19 PCR testing services aside from Euro Medical Family Clinic which started their service a few months back, although this one facility has…
Exciting news from Liwonde National Park , as 3 new lion cubs are born and identified in the Chinguni Pride! A statement from the team at the Park stated that they have been working hard to confirm successful breeding in this pride after witnessing multiple mating events. “Tracking lions in the green season, however, isn’t easy, especially as…
Zimbabwean tourism is set for a boost as a new airline is venturing into the Victoria Falls, Botswana route with the maiden flight expected to happen this coming Saturday. Mack Air, a Botswana based airline becomes the latest addition to the assortment of airlines lining up to tap into the Victoria Falls market, which is…
AirKenya has notified the tourism industry that, following a presidential directive and an authorisation by the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority released on May 1, the airline has fully resumed its operations, offering services from its exclusive terminal at Wilson Airport Nairobi, to the following destinations: Serengeti (via Kilimanjaro), Kilimanjaro, Entebbe (via Kisumu), Maasai Mara, Amboseli,…
The business rescue practitioners (BRPs) of South African Airways’ (SAA) have filed a notice of substantial implementation with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) that effectively brings to an end the airline’s 17 months in business rescue. Simultaneously, while this took place on April 30, the operations of SAA were handed back to its board.…
Mango is preparing to be placed in business rescue, as it will have no aircraft available for operations from May 1. Acting CEO, William Ndlovu, sent a communication to major travel agencies and tour operators yesterday, outlining the “operational challenges” the airline has, which appear to have been caused by a string of broken promises relating to…
The NamibRand Nature Reserve is the only official Dark-Sky reserve in Africa. The reserve not only protects the unique wildlife of the southwest Namib Desert, but also keeps its light pollution reduced to the point where the Milky Way is visible to the unaided eye. The International Dark-Sky Association, which has recognised the reserve as…
Zimbabwe’s biggest annual trade expo, the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair – which includes the tourism sector – will be held in Bulawayo from July 20 to 23. The event was cancelled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The exhibition will be held under the theme, ‘Showcasing the New Normal for Business and Industry: Realities…
The National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) has approved in principle that tourism sector frontline workers should be prioritised for vaccinations. “We are now waiting on the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC) to decide on how and when this will be rolled out,” said Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) CEO, Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa, speaking to Tourism…
Turkish Airlines has returned to the sandy shores of Seychelles, landing in paradise on the morning of Friday, April 23, 2021. Restarting its COVID-safe international passenger services, Turkish Airlines A330-300 aircraft from Istanbul carrying 171 passengers was greeted by a traditional water salute upon arrival at the Indian Ocean destination. Contributing to the revival of…
A research study in South Africa further evaluating Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine in the field will resume on Wednesday, the health ministry said, after the study was paused over rare cases of blood clots in people given the vaccine. During the pause, it had been established that there is a one in a million…
Leopard Sands River Lodge by BON Hotels is set to open its doors on August 1. The lodge, overlooking the Sabi River, shares a border with Kruger National Park and is located only minutes away from the Paul Kruger Gate entrance to the park. Group Sales Director at BON Hotels, Lindi Mthethwa, told Tourism Update that international tourists…
Malawian inbound operator “Malawian Style” and Zambian inbound operator “Zambia in Style” have now rebranded as “Crafted Africa”. You can learn more at http://www.craftedafrica.com/
The directors of KARIBU-KILIFAIR regret to inform you that the ongoing developments of COVID-19 pandemic in our top source markets, have forced us to postpone the scheduled KARIBU-KILIFAIR 2021 to next year. The new date for KARIBU-KILIFAIR will be June 3-5, 2022. More info here
Boundless Southern Africa, the tourism marketing and investment promotion initiative for Southern Africa’s Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs), has developed a new e-learning tool for tourism in the region. The first courses on the Maloti-Drakensberg Transfrontier Conservation Area and the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area are now live online. What is a Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA)?…
A few months ago, APTA announced its new webinar tool. This is an excellent way to stay in front of our members, especially during these uncertain times. Corporate members, you can submit your webinar by logging into your APTA profile. Simply click “Add a Webinar” on your Dashboard and fill out all required fields. We…
Fire crews had largely contained a big wildfire on the slopes of Cape Town’s Table Mountain on Tuesday as the city started to come to terms with the damage caused by what officials described as one of the area’s worst blazes in years. About 90% of the fire had been contained, the Table Mountain National…
United Airlines will launch a daily Newark-Johannesburg service on June 3, subject to government approval. Last year, the carrier suspended its seasonal summer Cape Town flights and also postponed the original launch date of its daily flights to Johannesburg from March 2021 to June this year. United is also adding two new African routes from Washington Dulles, with services to Accra, Ghana, beginning next month,…
In celebration of its 20th anniversary, leading Uganda tour company, Great Lakes Safaris launches a new charitable arm of the business, Great Lakes Safaris Foundation, to provide community support and conservation of wildlife. And an exciting new 20 night immersive ‘Ultimate Uganda’ tour taking in the best the country has to offer. The Great Lakes…
The Seychelles Islands invite visitors around the world to take residence in the little corner of paradise through their Workcation Retreat Programme – a blend of work and leisure in a tropical getaway. The programme entices remote workers with an irresistible offer to relocate their office to the island destination for a long-term escape from…
Airlink has announced the resumption of its Nelspruit-Livingstone service from May 1. This will enable travellers to combine the Victoria Falls with the Kruger National Park and surrounding areas. The airline is also starting Johannesburg-Livingstone flights on May 26. The new service augments Airlink’s presence in Zambia, provided by its daily services between Johannesburg and…
JA Resorts & Hotels has opened its second property, JA Enchanted Waterfront Villas, in Seychelles. The oceanfront resort is on the east coast of Mahé and has 10 villas designed in a contemporary Creole style set against a backdrop of mountains. Each has a sheltered veranda overlooking a garden, and private infinity pool with ocean…
Egyptian archeologists have unearthed a 3,000 year-old lost city complete with mud brick houses, artifacts and tools from the times of the pharaohs. The mortuary city, in the southern province of Luxor, is being called the most important such find since the tomb of Tutankhamun. It dates back to the period under King Amenhotep III…
Najin and Fatu are the last two northern white rhinos on the planet and they are both female and cannot carry pregnancies. Scientists around the world are now in a race against time to save the species at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Laikipia in Kenya. “Having the last two northern white rhino is a…
The Mauritian government has expanded its COVID-19 vaccination programme to include all citizens, residents and long-term international visitors over the age of 18. Visitors holding the Premium Visa as well as residents of Mauritius holding a Work Permit, Residence Permit or Occupational Permit are eligible to receive their vaccinations free of charge. The expanded vaccination…
Fastjet Zimbabwe will increase its current schedule to daily services between Victoria Falls, International Airport and Johannesburg, OR Tambo International Airport, effective May 30. “The flight arrival times in Victoria Falls have been adjusted, offering customers the opportunity to minimise the time spent at the airport with a likely faster airport exit and more time at hand to enjoy…
Ethiopian Airlines on Thursday marked 75 years since it began commercial flights, with CEO Tewolde GebreMariam warning of ‘a serious challenge posed by COVID-19’. On April 8 1946, the company operated its first-ever commercial flight. It flew from Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital to Cairo, Egypt. The carrier’s initial fleet consisted of five C-47s acquired…
The Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) on Monday launched a digital tourism platform in an effort to increase the visibility of the island nation through the internet and support the local tourism industry with online and digital marketing. Called ParrAPI, the platform will serve to collect, store and distribute digital tourism information. The first four letters – Parr –…
Turkish Airlines has announced that it will be resuming regular flights to the Seychelles islands from its home base, Istanbul Airport from Friday, April 23, 2021. This is part of Turkish Airlines’ plans to restart COVID-safe international passenger services to several destinations including Seychelles, after the airline suspended its services to the island in March…
South Africa has signed an agreement with Pfizer Inc for 20 million dual shot COVID-19 vaccine doses, a government official told Reuters on Tuesday, boosting plans to start mass vaccinations from April. The deal is another fillip for the country worst hit by COVID-19 infections in Africa as it adds to the 31 million single-shot…
Tanzania’s new president Samia Suluhu Hassan said on Tuesday that her government would form a committee for scientific research into COVID-19, in a departure from the pandemic-sceptic policies of her predecessor John Magufuli who died last month. Magufuli, who Hassan said died of heart disease at 61, had dismissed the threat from the coronavirus pandemic,…
In a meeting held on Wednesday 31st March 2021, Cabinet discussed the resumption of cruise ship calls in Seychelles. The meeting approved the immediate re-opening of the cruise sector following the moratorium imposed in May 2020. This followed a stakeholder meeting held on 16th March, 2021 chaired by the Minister responsible for Tourism consisting of…
The World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has added the Egyptian Museum in Cairo’s Tahrir Square to its World Heritage Tentative List. Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities applied, last February, in accordance with the established criteria for registering such sites. Abdel Mohsen Shafi’i, Supervisor of the Central…