Zambia Zambian President Edgar Lungu has reopened the Victoria Falls to the public, nearly two months after closing the World Heritage Site due to COVID-19. Lungu urged all visitors and tour operators to follow health guidelines by wearing masks and practising social distancing. “The decision to reopen the Victoria Falls was based on the city of Livingstone…
African Habitat Conservancy (AHC) has launched a protected wilderness area in KwaZulu Natal. Babanango Game Reserve is AHC’s first project. It lies within the Umfolozi Biodiversity Economy Node and aims to protect a vast African wilderness while also uplifting rural people. The protected malaria-free area is one of the first major projects undertaken between conservationists,…
Air Mauritius’s international commercial passenger flights will remain suspended until June 30. The flights are now scheduled to resume on July 1, subject to certain conditions being met, including the opening of borders and the lifting of travel restrictions. The island destination announced earlier this week that it was COVID-19 free, having not recorded any…
Tanzania has reopened its airspace to both scheduled and non-scheduled international flights after a steady slowdown in the number of COVID-19 cases in the country. As long as passengers’ body temperatures don’t point to anything unusual, they would be able to enter the country without being quarantined, said President John Magufuli. He also said that Air…
Southern Africa’s tiny mountain kingdom of Lesotho on Wednesday confirmed its first case of COVID-19, making it the last African country to report the disease. With the announcement, all 54 countries in Africa have now reported cases. Lesotho’s health ministry said one person who recently arrived in the country had tested positive but was not showing signs…
Give a mask, get a mask. For every mask sold, one is donated to a local person in need Buy a #meaninfulmaskmalawi and your purchase will fund the donation of a mask to someone who really needs it here in Malawi. We are bringing two-layered face masks (so you can use a filter for…
Green Safaris, the owners of the beautiful Kaya Mawa lodge on Likoma Island, have launched some ‘baby elephant initiatives’ to protect their local environment and communities whilst the world is suffering from the coronavirus pandemic. Green Safaris is currently ramping up their efforts to support their neighbouring vulnerable, growing communities and wild spaces until they too can grow…
Rwanda will relax its full-day travel ban from May 4 as a way to revive its economy hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. The movement of individuals will only be prohibited from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. local time, according to a statement released by the Office of the Prime Minister on Thursday. Businesses can…
The Western Cape government is to use the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) as a temporary COVID-19 hospital with capacity to care for 800 people. “The Western Cape’s scenario planning has predicted a shortfall of 1 000 acute beds in the province at the peak of the pandemic,” said Western Cape Premier, Alan Winde, adding…
Amidst the nationwide lockdown and the impact of COVID-19, The Blue Train has announced that the current suspension of services will be extended to June 30. This will allow the development and implementation of screening measures that will ensure the safety of staff and guests. Guests who have paid and confirmed travel on The Blue…
The Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) has cancelled this year’s Magical Kenya travel Expo (MKTE) assigning the escalation of the coronavirus as the reason behind its decision. The Expo was scheduled to take place from 7-9 October 2020 at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) . In a Facebook post, the board said ‘’ Due to…
Since 2016, Rwanda has been leading the world in using drones to serve its people. Now that work continues with a new program delivering chemotherapy meds in the era of COVID-19 social distancing. The coronavirus lockdown has made it harder for people to travel to receive life-saving medications. So Rwanda is bringing in the drones.…
Malawian Style has launched a campaign #Photos4Africa aimed at trading great photos in exchange for helping those in African Tourism who have been brutally affected by COVID19. Due to travel bans and safety many lodges are closing their doors and have been forced to let go of most of their staff. The impact of COVID19…
On a recent morning in South Africa’s port city of Cape Town, Patsy Oosthuizen was working her volunteer shift in the coronavirus screening tent outside Tygerberg Hospital when a woman who had been waiting in line suddenly broke down in tears before her. The woman, whose name is not being revealed for privacy reasons, had…
Ryan Tate is supposed to be in South Africa right now helping to fight off poachers who hack horns off rhinos and kill elephants for their ivory tusks. But since the country announced a national lockdown in March to slow the spread of the coronavirus, Tate is stuck in the U.S. He can’t join his team out…
Malawi’s Blue Zebra Island Lodge is located on a private island in Lake Malawi just a short drive from the capital of Lilongwe. Since it’s opening the lodge has always been off the grid, however now they are finalizing a conversion from gas generator to clean solar energy. The new spa is also under construction…
The Mantis Collection opened Mantis Olô Bé Lodge in March in Andavadoaka, Madagascar. The lodge is a six-hour drive from the nearest international airport in Tulear and has seven rooms – three bungalows, two suites and two standard rooms – that overlook the lagoon. Each room features a large wooden four-poster bed with a built-in…
FlySafair, which aims to resume domestic flights when SA’s lockdown lifts, has introduced social distancing seating options, which allows passengers to elect to keep the middle seat next to them open during the booking process – at a price. “As a policy, we will fill window and aisle seats before allocating passengers to middle seats but…
The Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) has launched a new digital campaign designed to keep the islands top of travellers’ must-visit lists after COVID-19. The first phase of the ‘Dream Now, Experience Seychelles Later’ campaign was launched with the STB saying on its digital platforms: “The world may be at a standstill, but your dreams don’t…
Whether it’s goats in Wales or wild boar in Italy, animals around the world appear to be adjusting well to life without humans during the coronavirus outbreak. Even lions are enjoying the peace and quiet, a set of new photos from South Africa‘s Kruger National Park shows. The images show a pride of lions lounging on a road,…
South African Airways plans to lay off its entire workforce after failing to persuade the government to provide more financial aid, a move that threatens to ground the 86-year-old carrier for good. The state-owned airline has offered severance deals to all 4,700 staff from the end of this month after administrators concluded that a successful turnaround is now…
Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa has extended the COVID-19 nationwide lockdown. The lockdown, which started on March 30, was meant to end on Sunday (April 19) but has been extended to May 3.
Ghana became the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to ease movement restrictions after a 21-day lockdown of its biggest cities bought the government enough time to improve its preparedness for the coronavirus pandemic, said President Nana Akufo-Addo. Residents of the capital, Accra, and major centers are allowed to return to work from Monday even though…
Emirates has become the first airline in the world to screen passengers for coronavirus using a pre-boarding blood test. The Dubai-based carrier started administering rapid result tests to passengers on-site in a check-in area of Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport on Wednesday. The blood test for coronavirus, conducted by the Dubai Health Authority, were given…
African countries previously hit by deadly Ebola outbreaks are using the lessons they learned to fight the coronavirus pandemic, experts say, because they know how to rapidly track down, screen and quarantine potential patients. “When a certain outbreak is over, you have a capacity left behind that you can build on or adapt. It could be…
The past few weeks have not been easy for Nico Jacobs, founder of Rhino 911, a nonprofit that provides emergency helicopter transport for rhinoceroses in need of rescue in South Africa. That’s because times are much worse for the rhinos. Since South Africa announced a national lockdown on March 23 to limit the spread of…
A new direct flight operated by TAP is scheduled to start operating between Cape Town and Lisbon in November. The seasonal flights will operate three times a week until the end of March 2021. The first flight is scheduled for November 11, according to Wesgro Air Access Project Manager, Paul van den Brink. He told Tourism Update that…
SouthAfricanAirways(SAA), repatriatedover300South African citizens on April 14, 2020 aboard a specially planned charter flight from the Miami International Airport (MIA) to South Africa. This flight, chartered by Workaway International, operated with SAA’s new state-of-the art flagship Airbus A350-900 aircraft, departed Miami on Tuesday evening en route to Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. Workaway International is…
Mountain gorillas, today one of the most beloved wild animals on the planet, were little known four decades ago when the American primatologist Dian Fossey, commenting on a spate of brutal killings by poachers, warned that only around 220 of the animals were left. “The mountain gorilla faces a grave danger of extinction—primarily because of…
Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo spoke Monday with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. Secretary Pompeo thanked the Prime Minister and Ethiopian Airlines for their continued support to provide flights to American citizens stranded overseas by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Secretary underscored the United States’ commitment to supporting Ethiopia and working with international partners to…
An ancient Egyptian pyramid that came very close to total collapse is finally open to the public again after a 14-year restoration, CNN reported. The Step Pyramid of Djoser, built around 4,700 years ago, is Egypt’s oldest stone monument — even older than the Great Pyramid of Giza (built around 2560 BCE), according to CNN. Believed to be designed by the ancient Egyptian…
The government of Kenya is set to construct the first underwater museum in Sub Saharan Africa in the Coast region. The project which is in line with the country’s blue economy vision is set to boost tourism numbers in the Coast region according to Head of archeology at the National Museum of Kenya Dr. Caesar Bita. The…
Camera traps set up by researchers in DR Congo have revealed 43 secretive forest species such as giant ground pangolins, African golden cats, leopards, cusimanses (a species of mongoose), bonobos, forest elephants and the endemic Congo peafowls. Researchers in the 3,6 million hectare Salonga National Park (Africa’s largest tropical rainforest reserve) in the Democratic Republic…
The Kenyan government announced on Sunday (April 5) that it would extend the ban on all international flights by 30 days as the country intensified the fight against spread the COVID-19 pandemic. The previous two-week ban, implemented on March 25, expired at midnight on April 5. Cabinet Secretary of the Ministry of Transport, James Macharia, said…
The fallout of the Coronavirus pandemic is being felt everywhere across the globe. Here, I speak to Alice Gully, co-owner of Aardvark Safaris, a UK-based specialist tour operator working with a range of camps and lodges across Africa. She says that the repercussions in the decline of tourism will have an enormous impact on conservation efforts in Africa.…
The Seychelles will enter a 21-day period of restricted movement of people and shutdown of essential services from midnight April 8 as part of the government’s efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19. At a press conference April 7, the Seychellois Department of Health announced these new measures, after a Seychellois man – who works as…
Even during these difficult times, there is good news coming out of Malawi’s tourism sector. The newly built Mitengo House opened its doors recently and is a beautiful addition to the range of services offered by Kiboko Safaris. The lodge is located in Area 10 of the capital city Lilongwe, which is considered one of…
Vaya Trails is a new tour company offering hiking experiences through the escarpment of Eswatini. The company is the brainchild of five Swazi locals who are keen to share their love and knowledge of this unique environment, says a statement from Eswatini Tourism. “Vaya Trails offers guided, tailormade hiking experiences,” said one of the founders, Anna McGinn.…
Kenya’s government has created a National Tourism Crisis Steering Committee to not only plan the country’s tourism recovery post COVID-19 but include mitigating measures for emergencies during the pandemic. This was announced by Kenyan Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary, Najib Balala, who said the COVID-19 pandemic had caused a major impact on tourism sectors across the…
The President of Botswana, Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi, today (March 31) declared a State of Public Emergency that includes Botswana going into a nationwide lockdown from midnight on April 2. “Where the President declares a state of emergency when Parliament is not sitting, such state of emergency ceases after 21 days,” explained Masisi in a live broadcast.…
Zimbabwe has implemented a 21-day total lockdown, effective March 30, in an effort to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced that all non-essentials services would come to a halt during the lockdown. “Everyone must stay at home, except those seeking health services or buying food, medicine and vital supplies, as well as those manning…
After banning the use of all foreign currencies in 2019, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has reinstated the use of the US dollar as a currency in order to mitigate the devastating impact of Covid-19 on the economy. The Reserve Bank says this is an effort to simplify transactions for the public and to promote…
The national Airline, Air Botswana, has suspended scheduled services on its domestic and regional route network from the 27th March to 31st May 2020. This is in support of the national call to restrict non-essential travel in efforts to slow-down and arrest the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The suspension period is, however, subject to…
If local tourism suppliers are not flexible with cancellation policies and fees amid the COVID-19 pandemic they could potentially destroy long-term relationships with global tour operators and DMCs and lose future business. This is the opinion of Juliane Loubser, MD of Cape Town-based DMC, Fairfield Tours, who told Tourism Update that many South African tourism suppliers were sticking…
Countries around the world are adopting and integrating the United Nations World Tourism Organisation’s new ‘Stay home today so you can travel tomorrow’ campaign to curb the spread of COVID-19 while still stimulating travel appetites for the future. UNWTO is promoting the tagline on digital media through the hashtag #TravelTomorrow. It encourages travellers to adhere to…
Airlink, the South African-based domestic and regional airline, is suspending all operations after midnight this Thursday, 26 March 2020 in support of South Africa’s lock-down to slow and contain the spread of the COVID-19 “Coronavirus”. “In the face of this global public health emergency, the safety and well-being of our customers, crew, employees their families…
Earlier this year, when the first reports of the coronavirus started to come out of China, global health officials said they were very worried about what would happen if the virus started spreading in Africa, where many health systems are already struggling. Well, now the coronavirus is spreading in Africa. So far the number of…
Malawi has imposed a travel ban on foreign nationals from countries affected by the Covid-19 disease. President Peter Mutharika announced the ban on Friday when he also announced other measures put in place to manage the threat of coronavirus in the country. “My Government has banned travel of foreign nationals from countries highly affected by…
Several African countries have confirmed their first cases of the coronavirus, while Rwanda has become the first nation in Africa to be placed on lockdown. According to the World Health Organization, more than 1,000 cases had been reported across Africa as of Sunday. In Uganda, Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng announced the first case, saying that a man flew…
As the coronavirus infects more people around the world, conservationists are warning of the risk to another vulnerable species: Africa’s endangered mountain gorilla. Congo’s Virunga National Park, home to about a third of the world’s mountain gorillas, is barring visitors until June 1, citing “advice from scientific experts indicating that primates, including mountain gorillas, are…