As of Oct.1, Uganda’s borders have reopened, and Entebbe International Airport (EBB) has resumed operations for international airlines following a six-month closure during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. All of Uganda’s national parks are open to international visitors as well. The reopening signals a return to business for Uganda’s tourism industry as international travelers…
On World Rhino Day last week, African Parks were pleased to announce encouraging signs of a growing black rhino population as the nation re-emerges as a regionally significant conservation stronghold for this critically endangered species. Malawi is overseeing a resurgence of wildlife and its parks under progressive new conservation policies helping to restore its natural…
Zimbabwe President Mnangagwa yesterday urged SADC countries to harness natural resources abundant in the region so as to improve the lives of their citizens through production and productivity. Speaking at a State banquet for the visiting Malawian President Lazarus Chikwera at the State House last night, the President traced the historical ties between Zimbabwe and Malawi…
South Africa’s borders will reopen on October 1 for international travel, except for leisure travellers from a group of countries classed ‘high risk’. In a media briefing today, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Naledi Pandor, explained that South Africa had used WHO guidelines to determine three categories of countries – high-, medium- and low-risk. Pandor…
The South African Department of Public Enterprises confirms that government will reprioritize funds to finalise the restructuring of South African Airways (SAA) and the implementation of the airline’s business rescue plan. An announcement to this effect will be announced in the Adjustments Appropriation Bill, which will be introduced in Parliament soon. The national carrier will…
Need a pick-me-up? Lemala Camps is Dancing across East Africa!
Ethiopian Airlines, one of Africa’s leading airlines and a popular choice for visitors to Malawi, are now expanding their services since the reopening of Malawi’s airports during the coronavirus pandemic. We announced last week that Ethiopian Airlines were offering one flight a week to Lilongwe, but can now confirm that this to be extended to a twice…
Seven integrated ‘wildlife zones’ will be introduced across South Africa to protect the endangered rhinoceros population. By demarcating areas primarily around rhino populations, both wildlife and people living in and around the conservation areas will be protected, said Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Barbara Creecy. “By introducing a zoning approach, the necessary resources can be…
Seychelles has gone live with Travizory technology to facilitate the collection and analysis of traveller documentation to ensure the reopening of borders takes place safely. The new technology allows authorities to collect and identify health information directly from the traveller via easy-to-use web and mobile apps. The information is fed securely into a single system,…
Comair has taken the most significant step along the path towards getting ‘back to business’ and emerging from business rescue. On Friday September 18, a “vast majority” of creditors and shareholders voted to adopt the business rescue plan. In terms of the business rescue plan, the preferred investment consortium, comprising a number of former Comair board members…
WTM London will be entirely virtual this November. WTM Virtual will take place from November 9-11, offering delegates the chance to arrange one-on-one virtual meetings to do business, attend conference sessions and roundtables, take part in speed networking and more. There will be four virtual theatres to host webinars and debates. “Sadly, this year will…
International tourists are no longer required to spend seven days at one facility in Namibia as per the amended health and safety protocols. This was announced by Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, Pohamba Shifeta, who pointed out that the amended protocols now allowed tourists – intending to spend less than five days at a pre-booked…
Mason’s Travel has announced a new bookable “PCR Testing Package” in Seychelles. The package is designed to ensure a smooth process for all guests once in-destination in need of PCR testing for COVID-19. The package allocates guests with an in-destination representative on arrival and includes facilitation of PCR testing on Mahe, Praslin or La Digue…
Seychelles’ Vallée de Mai has won a 2020 TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Award as the island nation prepares to open borders on October 1. Based on traveller reviews throughout 2019, the Unesco World Heritage Site was placed in the top 10% of global attractions listed on TripAdvisor. Vallée de Mai is on Praslin and is home…
Zimbabwe has banned mining in its national parks in response to protests after permits to explore for coal in one of the world’s premier elephant reserves were awarded to Chinese companies. The permits in the Hwange National Park were allegedly awarded without the requisite environmental permissions, according to a court case filed by the Zimbabwe…
The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has permitted the resumption of economic activities in tourism parks which had been closed to help limit the spread of the coronavirus. The closure seriously impacted on the sector as players lost revenues in maintaining facilities that had no visitors and canceling scheduled trips, which forced them to lay off…
Zimbabwean cabinet has announced that domestic and international flights will resume on 10 September and 1 October respectively. All travellers will be required to have a PCR COVID-19 Clearance Certificate issued by a recognized facility within 48 hours from the date of departure. Zimbabwe’s borders are currently closed to all human traffic except for returning…
Kenya will host the first annual Magical Kenya Elephant Naming Festival in August 2021. Kenya Tourism Board CEO, Dr Betty Radier, said the annual event would go a long way to support tourism and wildlife conservation efforts. She added that the festival had the potential to encourage more people to engage in conservation efforts. It also…
Germany has donated €1.2 million to Botswana’s Ministry of Environment Natural Resources, Conservation and Tourism. Minister Philda Kereng said the financial assistance would help to cushion the tourism industry, which has been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. “Through the donation, Botswana will be able to subsidise wages for community-based organisations within the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area,”…
Rwanda’s 16th gorilla-naming ceremony will be held virtually on World Gorilla Day (September 24). The ceremony is modelled on a centuries-old tradition in which Rwandans name their children in the presence of family and friends called, ‘Kwita Izina’. This year, 24 young gorillas that call Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park home will be named by the park’s…
The Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) issued a tentative schedule that will be followed as Entebbe International Airport starts accepting passenger flights. According to Eng. Sooma Ayub, the director of Airports and Aviation Security, the airport, which has been closed for about five months, will likely open on October 1. The director wrote to airline…
2020 has been a year that forced us all to be more socially conscious. Every step, every move and every direction we take will ultimately have an effect on others’ lives. Not just in regards to health, as made obvious by the COVID-19 pandemic, but also in all other sectors, particularly in tourism. The idea…
Malawi will allow airlines and schools to resume operations from Sept. 1, as it seeks to limit the economic and social damage from its coronavirus lockdown, authorities said on Thursday. Schools and airports have been closed since March, when the government imposed a lockdown to try to contain the epidemic. Malawi has recorded 5474 cases…
The Blue Train will resume services for private charters from September 1 and will operate a full schedule from November 1. During lockdown, The Blue Train has shared news regarding its new hygiene protocols to ensure the highest level of health and safety for guests and staff. “We are pleased to be opening up operations…
As part of preparations towards the opening of the Kotoka International Airport for the resumption of international airline operations, arriving passengers will be required to take an Antigen test at any of the over 70 sampling collection booths set-up at the upper level of the Arrival Hall and results ready between 12-15 minutes. A state-of-the-art…
Emirates will resume its Lusaka service with two flights a week, starting September 4, according to a press release. Flights will operate on Fridays and Sundays using a Boeing 777-300ER. EK 713 will depart from Dubai at 08h20, arriving in Lusaka at 13h30. Return flight EK 714 departs Lusaka at 15h30, arriving in Dubai at…
Africa Showcase North America registration for buyers is now open. This year’s event will be a virtual FAM trip. Suppliers are going to take you directly into their properties and experiences and share their special part of Africa with you. Meetings will work on the product rotation style that we know works so well for…
Known as one of South Africa’s oldest towns and boasting itself as a wine, food, art and cultural destination, Stellenbosch hit a slump like many other destinations in the country when the Covid-19 pandemic struck. But, that hasn’t stopped the small town from innovating and moving forward from an unfortunate ordeal. In a bid to…
The New York Times recently featured a visual tour of Malawi with some of the most stunning photos we have ever seen. Click here to see the article in all of it’s photojournalistic glory. — When I stepped off the plane in Lilongwe as a 23-year-old, I had no idea of what to expect, though…
While SAA is waiting for funding to implement its business rescue plan, SA Express’ provisional liquidator is busy with a due diligence process, and Kulula.com’s owner’s rescue plan is due on Friday, private domestic airlines Airlink and Flysafair are already looking at expanding their existing routes beyond SA’s borders Airlink and Flysafair, as well as…
Alana Hayden, founder of Born Free Safaris, has established TourSafe Africa. This is a resource for the travel agent and consumer to search for information on properties that are following safe travel protocols. “Our role is to rebuild confidence in the potential traveler to Africa. That we can get the word out that hotels, lodge,…
African leaders said Tuesday the continent is free of wild poliovirus, a historic public health achievement that will spare tens of thousands of children from the devastating disease every year. The Africa Regional Certification Commission for Polio Eradication officially declared the continent free of polio, four years after Nigeria reported the last known case. “This is a…
Construction engineers and workers have almost completed the first restaurant at the Giza Plateau, where the Great Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx are located. It will serve tourists visiting the plateau, the epicenter of Egypt’s ancient civilization. Those visiting the restaurant — an unostentatious structure decorated with simple furniture and tables, but potentially serving the most authentic of…
On August 27, 250 years ago, the first settlers arrived in Seychelles – today recognized as a group of 115 islands in the western Indian Ocean. The 28 people were French and their slaves from Africa and India. The first settlers came to the islands onboard the vessel Telemaque, and they established their first settlement…
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,…