A Ugandan silverback gorilla called Rafiki is one of countless animals that has fallen victim to poachers as the effects of coronavirus hit the east African country. At the start of June this year wildlife rangers noticed that Rafiki had disappeared. After a search they found his body. Rafiki had been killed by a poacher…
Kenya is positioning both the annual Wildebeest Migration in the Maasai Mara and the Whale Migration in the coastal region as a unique natural tourism experience in the destination. Now dubbed the “Twin migration” because of the simultaneous occurrence of the phenomenon, tourists have the option of witnessing both migrations which happen on Savanna and…
Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) and Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly promote “Destination Uganda” as a premier film and tourist destination. The MoU enjoins the two parties to collaborate and jointly market Destination Uganda, and to improve Uganda’s brand as a film and tourism destination. Speaking at the signing…
Wildlands Conservation Trust has been awarded emergency relief funding by The Wildlife Ranger Challenge to combat the immediate threat to operations posed by COVID-19. The Wildlife Ranger Challenge is a pan-African virtual fund-raising race uniting ranger teams across the continent to raise money needed to support the thousands of rangers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic…
The Kingdom of Eswatini is one of the first southern African countries to receive the World Travel and Tourism Council’s Safe Travels Stamp. “Eswatini is pleased to join other destinations in being part of the globally recognised WTTC Safe Travels protocols,” said Minister of Tourism, Moses Vilakati. “Implementation of these protocols is part of our message…
Airbnb is now allowed to operate under lockdown alert level 2 after launching its own health and safety protocols in South Africa in a bid to persuade government to let them operate. At a media briefing on August 19, in response to Tourism Update’s question on Airbnb, Tourism Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane said: “All accommodations are allowed and the directives…
While some tourist guides have received the funds from the Tourist Guide Relief Fund, many are still awaiting relief payments as the process has encountered further challenges. At a media briefing earlier this week, Director General of the Department of Tourism, Nkhumeleni Victor Tharage, said there were a large number of tourist guides who still…
The Lufthansa Group has announced that Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) will resume flights to Nairobi from September 5. The airline will operate a weekly flight, departing from Zurich at 13h25 on Saturdays, arriving in Nairobi at 22h35. The return flight departs Nairobi at 23h00 on Sundays, arriving in Zurich at 06h10 the next day.…
Lilongwe Wildlife Trust (LWT), responsible for running Malawi’s only wildlife rehabilitation centre, saving malawi’s wildlife in the wild, and educating and campaigning for wildlife crime prevention, have released their latest newsletter. The work that Lilongwe Wildlife Trust do can be experienced first hand by you. The Malawi Conservation Experience trip, perfect for animal lovers and adventurous…
Nigeria is gearing up to resume international flights in and out of the country after shutting down its airport in March to curb the spread of Covid-19. According to a statement released Monday by the Ministry of Aviation, flights will resume August 29 from Lagos, the west African nation’s commercial hub, and Abuja, its capital…
Tanzania is the latest East African country to receive the World Travel and Tourism Council’s Safe Travels Stamp. Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism, Hamisi Kigwangalla, said Tanzania would use the stamp to promote its attractions in all its global source markets. “It will give travellers the confidence to visit our rich and varied attractions. We…
The Malawian government is working on developing risk management plans for the tourism industry as it gears up to resume international flights in the first week of September. This is according to Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Culture, Michael Bizwuick Usi, who was quoted by the Malawi News Agency as saying the plans would ensure proper management of…
South Africa’s Minister of Tourism, Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane, announced that all tourism attractions were open to operate under Alert Level 2 of the COVID-19 risk-adjusted strategy, at a media briefing earlier today (August 19). “These include, but are not limited to, theme parks, amusement parks, water parks, family entertainment centres, zoos, aquariums, science centres, nature and game…
A military uprising is reportedly underway in Mali, as the reports of gun battles at a military base and arrests of prominent politicians and high-ranking military officers are pouring in. The mutiny apparently started following weeks of protests calling for the president to resign. There have been several reports of gunfire at a base in…
When Nelson Ole Reiyia first tried to get his Maasai community to plant kitchen gardens around their mud-and-thatch homesteads, clean up a nearby river and make honey, hardly anyone listened. The 2,000 Maasai living next to Kenya’s most famous wildlife reserve were already making a living from their cattle, as they have for generations, and…
Gérard Pasanisi, a renowned French national who devoted his entire life to foster tourism development and wildlife conservation in the country as well as diplomatic ties between Tanzania and France, has died at 94. Mr Pasanisi, who came into Tanzania 1967 with love of tourism and wildlife conservation, passed away peacefully on August 13, 2020,…
The Elite Hotel in Somalia is a luxury beach resort hotel in the capital city of Mogadishu. Today 16 people were killed and at least 28 injured in a terror attack by Al Shabaab. 200 people were able to escape unharmed. The hotel was under siege for 4 hours. Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen, more commonly known…
President Uhuru Kenyatta says the tourism sector which was worst hit by COVID-19 economic effects is now on a recovery path. Speaking during a video link with Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala, Narok Governor Samuel Ole Tunai and the magical Kenya ambassador, marathoner, Eliud Kipchoge in Masaai Mara on Saturday, the Head of State exuded…
Uganda has reopened its national parks to visitors to help salvage an ailing travel sector. But local visitors are not enough to sustain it. Ugandan tourism needs foreign visitors back as soon as possible. This news is a video, click here to watch.
South African National Parks has announced that the Kruger National Park will partially open some of its camps for accommodation from August 14. KNP management advises that there will be strict enforcement of the regulations that are stipulated in the protocols around the easing of travel and leisure accommodation restrictions. Satara and Pretoriuskop Rest Camps…
Zimbabwean President, Emmerson Mnangagwa, and Minister of Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Mangaliso Ndlovu, presided over the official launch of the new Mbano Manor Hotel in Victoria Falls last week. The all-suite premium luxury hotel was completed earlier this year and comprises 19 suites. It is located on the edge of Zambezi River in the Zambezi National…
As the COVID-19 pandemic has brought the international tourism sector to a standstill with far reaching impacts, African Parks are pleased to share that more than 60 globally renowned photographers from 21 countries have united for an unprecedented print fundraiser, Prints for Wildlife, to support people and wildlife in 18 parks under their management. 100% of the…
Mike Wendel has been looking after Mkulumadzi Lodge for Robin Pope Safaris down in Majete Wildlife Reserve. Whilst camp is currently quiet, the animals have taken over! Read his stories of elephants taking baths, and lions stealing cameras right here: Well ladies and gentlemen, a very good Monday morning to you all from Mkulumadzi lodge. However, I find…
More than 1 000 tons of fuel have reportedly already leaked from the bulk carrier vessel, MV Wakashio, according to a report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination on Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) released today (August 11). A CNN report today quoted Sunil Dowarkasing, a former strategist for Greenpeace International and former Mauritian MP saying: “The way the leakage and…
The Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) and Visa, the world’s leader in digital payments have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to promote Seychelles as a destination of choice for tourists around the world. The MOU is aimed at enabling the tourism board to strengthen its marketing strategy globally through the promotion of electronic payments technology and services…
Rhino poaching has decreased by almost 53% in the first six months of 2020, with 166 animals being killed for their horns across the country since the beginning of the year. During the first six months of 2019, 316 rhino had been poached in South Africa. “After a decade of implementing various strategies, and campaigning…
Rwanda is honored to be among the latest top tourist destinations to receive the world’s first-ever global safety and hygiene stamp, launched recently by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). The safety stamp means that Rwanda has adopted the global standardized health and hygiene protocols that were devised following the experience of WTTC members dealing with…
Namibia has today (August 3) opened its borders to tourists from a selected list of international markets as it gears up for the reopening of the country’s borders later this year. This trial period – which is due to end on September 17 – will help determine whether travellers from certain low-risk source markets can…
Major international airlines have resumed flights to Kenya, bringing hope to the tourism sector after months of travel restrictions. This follows the announcement by President Uhuru Kenyatta that international flights would resume on August 1. The country has also been awarded safe travel status by the World Travel and Tourism Council. “This stamp will allow travellers to…
A new tented camp has opened at Liwonde National Park. Situated at the base of Chinguni Hill, overlooking the Chikalongwe floodplain and the majestic Shire river, the camp is solar powered and has 4 en suite safari tents.
Kenya is hosting a destination readiness webinar on August 5th at 9:30am EST. The 4 panelists are CEOs of the following institutions: – Kenya Airways – Kenya Airports Authority – Kenya Assoc. of Hotelkeepers and Caterers – Kenya Associ. of Tour Operators You can register to participate here – https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_RrB1MutpTWCfJTry0vIUpw
All tourism sites in Uganda are now open for visitors, Col. (Rtd) Tom Butime the Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities has said. But with the country’s borders still closed, domestic tourists and foreigners who are already in the country are the ones expected to visit these sites. The tourism sector came to a standstill…
Reservations are now being taken for the beautiful Thawale Lodge in Majete Wildlife Reserve, which will open its doors to visitors on July 1st 2020. Thawale is now fully managed and operated by African Parks, the conservation non-profit which manages Majete in partnership with Malawi’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW). Their 17-year collaboration has overseen the restoration…
The Kingdom of Eswatini has published its official Tourism COVID-19 Health & Safety Guidelines as part of an ongoing process to help relaunch the country’s tourism industry. The guidelines, endorsed by the World Health Organization, have been created by the Eswatini Tourism Authority (ETA) and Ministry of Tourism and Environmental Affairs in partnership with the Hospitality &…
The Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) said Wednesday that it has signed world marathon record holder and Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge as magical Kenya destination ambassador. KTB’s CEO Betty Radier said the engagement, commencing in July, will see Kipchoge promote the east African nation as a preferred tourism destination locally, regionally and internationally through various campaigns.…
BLOOD LIONS has launched their first two webinars relating to the captive predator breeding industry in South Africa. These webinars unpack important elements of the industry and, amongst others, include topics such as the conservation “con”; the impact that cub interactions and lion walking have on the international tourism and volunteer sector; the truth about captive (canned)…
Three local airfields in Uganda are set to be upgraded to international airports according to Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) This is part of the government’s efforts to develop Uganda’s air transport network that will connect the country to all major cities of the world to compete successfully for economic growth opportunities. The Airports that…
The Zimbabwe government has approved the COVID-19 Guidelines and Protocols for the Tourism and Hospitality Sector developed by the Zimbabwean Tourism Authority (ZTA). The ZTA emphasised the need for all players in the tourism industry to strictly observe and adhere to the set COVID-19 guidelines and protocols. These guidelines are meant to protect both the…
The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has released a list of incentives that are hoped to help the revival of the country’s tourism sector as the COVID-19 shut down begins to ease. Sam Mwandha, the UWA Executive Director says the incentives are expected to support the Tourism industry to get back on its feet. He says…
RwandAir will resume operations on August 1, initially flying between Kigali and selected destinations in Africa, including Dar es Salaam and Lusaka, as well as Dubai. More destinations will be added as countries lift travel restrictions. RwandAir CEO, Yvonne Makolo, said: “The demand will grow gradually as passengers become more comfortable travelling during this pandemic.” Commenting…
SAA will terminate all its aircraft leases by the end of the month, leaving it with one functional A320, which it charters to a world food programme, and nine old uneconomical A340s, which the airline owns but is struggling to sell. SAA has been returning all leased aircraft over the past few months, the last…
African countries are offering tourists from all over the world the chance to travel the continent and even go on safari by virtual means. But is this a satisfactory substitute for the real thing? The sun rises slowly above the horizon of the African savanna. Against its glowing light can be seen the silhouettes of…
Although Malawi has historically not been one of the most visited African countries, times appear to be changing. Over the last decade, tourism has grown steadily, with the last five years seeing a rapid acceleration. Malawi has a beautiful landscape and friendly population, so it is a natural choice for holidaymakers. However, one avenue that…
The Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) will focus on safe tourism as a main part of its marketing strategy. STB Chief Executive, Sherin Francis, conveyed this to key stakeholders via an online meeting as Seychelles prepares to welcome commercial flights from August 1. Francis reiterated the precautionary measures taken by the destination through the Department of Tourism,…
Malawi is being widely applauded over the successful and peaceful completion of its recent Presidential election, which was historic for a number of reasons. It was only the second time an election had been re-run in Africa after an annulment, and the very first that the opposition subsequently went on to win. It is notably…
Kenyan President, Uhuru Kenyatta, has announced a phased reopening of the country, including the resumption of international flights from August 1. Domestic flights will resume on July 15. However, the current nationwide curfew has been extended for a further 30 days. “In the next 21 days we shall study patterns of interactions and the spread of the…
The Protea Hotel by Marriott Masa Square opened in Gaborone, on July 2, the first of its brand in Botswana. It features 152 rooms and 30 extended-stay apartments. It is located in Masa Square lifestyle centre in Gaborone, a 20-minute drive from Sir Seretse Khama International Airport. The hotel also offers conference facilities and meeting…
The Red Carnation Hotel Collection’s Xigera Safari Lodge in Botswana will open in October. The lodge is on the western side of the Moremi Game Reserve in the Okavango Delta. The 12 individually designed air-conditioned suites include a two-bedroom family suite situated on two linked islands. Xigera Safari Lodge will feature two luxury spa rooms,…
The Kampala Serena Hotel reopened its doors this month, following Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort & Spa, which reopened on June 1. Hotels have been allowed to reopen from June 1. “We are selling to the local market, since regional borders and international flights are not open yet,” said Country Sales Manager of Kampala Serena…
Malawi has many attributes that make it ideal for post-lockdown tourism, covering the need for distancing and providing what many travellers are now seeking: Open spaces – Malawi is all about wildernesses, highland areas, wildlife reserves and wide beaches. No mass tourism/Uncrowded – Malawi is still off the beaten path in tourism terms with no…