After a decade marked by terrorism and other setbacks to its tourism brand, Kenya is now reveling in growth that is sure to be further nurtured by the first direct flight between the U.S. and East Africa. Read the feature article on Travel Weekly
Malawi Department of Tourism will once again be hosting a hosted buyer program + FAM trip around the annual Malawi International Tourism Expo (MITE) taking place in Lilongwe 25-27 April. Hosted buyers will attend the conference and then a post-conference FAM trip taking place 27 April – 1 May. Qualified buyers with an interest in…
Elephant Plains is a brand new luxury lodge located on the most spectacular view point in the whole of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Perched 941 metres above sea level, high upon the western escarpment of the Albertine rift in the north east of the park, the lodge offers panoramic views stretching for miles over the…
If you’ve been on safari, you’ll know how noisy game-viewing vehicles are: the great thrum the engines make on starting and the clatter as they drive through the bush. Yet it’s the kind of noise you get used to and might not even notice – until it isn’t there anymore. That’s what happened when I…
Annual maintenance on Cape Town’s Table Mountain Cableway has been extended this year to six weeks instead of five, from July 8 until August 18. The renovations include the replacing of cable car ropes and more. All the planned changes are to ensure an improved visitor experience. The public can still hike up Table Mountain…
The Zimbabwean government as appointed famous Black Panther star Danai Gurira as one of the tourism ambassadors of the Southern African nation. Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Prisca Mupfumira made the appointment on Tuesday at the launch of Tour Africa-New Horizon Project. The block buster movie was the highest grossing film in southern, East…
This weekend, APTA members will be exhibiting at the New York Times Travel Show in the APTA pavilion. Participating members include: Seychelles Tourism Infinite Safari Adventures Africa Angel Tours Duma Explorer Camps Uganda Tourism Board In addition, APTA will be running the Friday morning “Focus on Africa” session. The schedule of speakers is as follows.…
Rwanda has signed and initialled a Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) with 20 countries to expand its air transport network. Jean de Dieu Uwihanganye, Rwanda’s Minister of State in charge of transport, last month signed the BASA on behalf of the government of Rwanda, at the eleventh International Civil Aviation Authority (ICAO) Air Services Negotiation…
Kuwona Cottage, situated on the pristine sands of Lake Malawi in the Senga Bay area, is now open for 2019 bookings. Kuwona Cottage is a private, self-catering lakeside accommodation in the popular Senga Bay area. The cottage is a great place to visit if you are looking for a couple of days away from the…
Scenes of traders, travelers, fishermen and women crossing the Zambezi river on floating planks, ferries, rickshaw boats, and canoes will soon come to an end. In just 24 months, travelling between the water-rich but land-locked Zambia and Botswana will get easier, smoother and faster, when the new road and rail bridge, currently under construction across…
Assailants identified as Shabab militants attacked a Nairobi luxury hotel and office complex on Tuesday, spreading death and panic as the police in Kenya’s capital evacuated civilians and sealed off the area. President Uhuru Kenyatta said on Wednesday that at least 14 people were killed in the assault, during which one of Nairobi’s most secure…
As 2019 promises to be an exciting year for Malawi, we look back at 2018 to see how the country’s wildlife has transformed, catching the attention of the world. Tours & trails have developed by local operators as the country becomes a hot destination for safaris in Africa. Wildlife Transformation ‘Completing’ Malawi For a long…
Just before boarding a hired B787 Dreamliner to embark on a two-week working visit to five countries, Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mgnangagwa shocked his country by announcing a 150% hike in fuel prices, effective midnight January 13, catapulting the country into protest action. A swift sequel to this announcement on January 14 spurred the country to outrage, when government…
Seychelles will be more accessible to the outside world starting February 6, 2019, as Kenya Airways introduces additional flights to its services, operating on a daily basis between the exotic islands and Kenya. The airline is currently flying to the island archipelago five times per week from Kenya’s Capital city- Nairobi. This latest development by…
The ‘Protecting our Wildlife’ campaign is launching through every copy of the Guardian newspaper and www.globalcause.co.uk on 2nd March this year in light of World Wildlife Day with six months of international distribution and events such as CITES COP, UN Environment Assembly and G20 Summit & Ministerial Meeting. We are actively looking for industry partners from travel tourism and transport to support and raise awareness on this…
The Namib Desert in southern Africa may not be as desolately quiet as you’d expect, thanks to a new sound installation that aims to play Toto’s “Africa” on eternal repeat, NPR reports. Namibian-German artist Max Siedentopf’s installation is appropriately titled “Toto Forever.” Utilizing six speakers, an MP3 player featuring literally just that one song, and solar energy, the…
Lilly Ajarova, one of the Top 100 women in Tourism honoured at the 13th Akwaaba African Travel Market has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of Uganda Tourism Board (UTB). Ajarova is the Executive Director of the Chimpanzee Sanctuary and wildlife trust. She was, on Thursday, announced by the State minister for tourism,…
The Department of Home Affairs has issued an advisory on its website that contradicts the relaxation of the regulations governing children travelling to SA. The Amendment to the Immigration Act was gazetted on November 30 and removes the requirement for children travelling with both parents on a foreign passport to carry a birth certificate when…
Kenya’s 2018 tourist arrivals grew by 37.33 percent from the previous year to cross the two million mark for the first time, posting a significant growth in earnings to Sh157 billion. The earnings are an 31.2 percent improvement from the Sh119 billion earned in 2017, according to Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala. The latest statistics…
The Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority has temporarily closed Saadani Airstrip due to maintenance. The airstrip closed on January 6 and will reopen on February 8. According to Coastal Aviation, the destination has already been restricted from sale during the closure dates, and existing bookings are being contacted by Coastal Aviation’s reservations department to arrange different…
Hyatt Hotels Corporation has opened its first Hyatt-branded hotel in Ethiopia, and its seventh in Africa, the Hyatt Regency Addis Ababa. The property has 188 rooms, including 12 Regency suites, two Executive suites, one Presidential suite, and one Royal Presidential suite with four bedrooms. There is also the Regency Club room where guests have access…
Tunis Tunisia, Gambia and Dakar Senegal were all named some of the 52 Places to go in 2019 by The New York Times. #27 – Tunis Freedom is what makes Tunis unique. Eight years after it kicked off the Arab spring, Tunis remains the only Arab capital with real freedom of expression, not to mention…
European travelers love Tunisia, and it shows. Despite the U.S. having travel alerts in place, Europeans travel again to Tunisia. Tunis Tourism receipts went up to USD 1.4 billion in Tunisia from January to 20 December 2018, according to numbers provided by the Ministry of Tourism and Handicrafts to the news agency Tunis Afrique Presse…
Bloomberg’s annual “Where to Go in 2019” list is out and of the 21 destinations featured, two are in Africa: Kenya and Chad. KENYA If you don’t have the flexibility for a long trip but have always wanted to watch 1.7 million wildebeests thunder across the Maasai Mara, this is the year to realize your…
RwandAir, the flag carrier airline of Rwanda based at Kigali International Airport in Kigali, announced plans to launch service to Ethiopian capital city of Addis Ababa in April 2019. RwandAir will operate five direct weekly flights from Kigali to Addis Ababa. The airline will use CRJ-900NG aircraft to operate the new route. With flights to…
Boeing and Lagos-based Green Africa Airways today announced a commitment for up to 100 737 MAX 8 aircraft, evenly split into 50 firm aircraft and 50 options, as the airline gears up to begin commercial operations. The total deal carries a list-price of $11.7 billion, the largest aircraft agreement from Africa, and will be reflected…
Ministry of Tourism is to establish five regional tourism councils in January next year as part of the Tourism Recovery Strategy. Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala says the five tourism council blocs that include in Rift Valley, the Lake Region, the Northern Region, Nairobi and the Coast will partner with the Kenya Tourism Board in promotion…
AVANI Seychelles Barbarons Resort and Spa has opened a new lounge at Seychelles International Airport. The CIP (Commercial Important Person) Payanke Lounge, named after the White-tailed Tropicbird, officially opened on December 6. According to David Savy, Chairman of the Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority, on average one million passengers pass through the airport each year on both…
South Africa is becoming more accessible for traveling families through updated regulations. The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) announced on December 1st, 2018 that they are relaxing some of the regulations for children traveling to South Africa. The announcement comes at a pivotal point for family travel as the Festive Season, a time when many…
The Okavango Delta is a freshwater wetland in northern Botswana that stretches some 1,200 to 3,000 square miles, depending on the season. It’s one of the most biodiverse regions on the continent, home to elephants, cheetahs, rhinos, endangered wild dogs, and hundreds of species of birds. Over the course of three weeks, three filmmakers joined…
This follows agreements signed between Turkish President Recep Edorgan and President Edgar Lungu during the former’s visit to Zambia in July. Zambian government has assured Turkish Airlines of all necessary support to its operations. Minister of Transport and Communications Brian Mushimba says government is providing airlines establishing new routes with incentives. The A330, configured in…
Rwanda’s capital city Kigali will be home to a 134 hectare urban park in the city’s biggest valley in 2020. The Nyandungu Urban Wetland Eco-Tourism Park will conserve wetlands and habitat for wildlife while providing walking and cycling trails, fish ponds and botanical gardens for residents and tourists. http://www.ipsnews.net/2018/12/rwanda-build-ecotourism-park-kigali/
Set adjacent to the Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve, Rafiki Safari Camp is the perfect base when exploring the wilderness of Malawi. Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve is something of a birding mecca and this newly revitalised game park is now stocked with some of Africas favourite large vertebrates, making your safari holiday complete. Rafiki Safari Camp boasts spacious…
Air Botswana has procured a new Embraer ERJ170, and has resumed direct Gaborone-Cape Town flights. The flights operate on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. The airline suspended the flights in February, after the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) grounded CemAir flights due to CemAir’s alleged failure to submit credible proof of compliance to SACAA. Minister of Transport…
AirKenya and Safarilink both resumed operations into the Mara North Airstrip in the Maasai Mara, on December 8. The two airlines previously suspended services to and from the airstrip on October 30, due to its unserviceable condition. According to AirKenya, if passengers’ preference is to fly into/from Mara North Airstrip and they booked an alternative due…
Qatar Airways Group chief executive Akbar al-Baker, said: “The inaugural flight to the beautiful coastal city of Mombasa marks further growth and strengthening bonds between the State of Qatar and Kenya. We are thrilled to be the first Middle East airline to offer direct flights to Mombasa, our second gateway into Kenya. “The people of…
The Kenyan tourism board, in partnership with CornerSun Destination Marketing, kicked off their US roadshow this week with workshops in Boston on Dec 3rd and Washington DC on Dec 5th. The events are aligned with the launch of the new direct service on Kenya Airways from New York-JFK to Nairobi, which began October 28th. 13…
African Parks a non-profit conservation organization has translocated nine Giraffe from South Africa to Majete Wildlife Reserve in Chikwawa. With the translocation, the population of Giraffes in the country has been increased to 30 as of now. Public Relations Coordinator for African Parks, Fran Read said the translocation was carried out through a partnership with…
Zimbabwe and Zambia are engaging regional counterparts Botswana, Angola and Namibia over the possibility of adopting the Kavango-Zambezi (KAZA) Uni-Visa to expedite the movement of tourists. The KAZA Uni-Visa was introduced as a pilot project between Zambia and Zimbabwe during the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) General Assembly, co-hosted by the two countries in 2013.…
Four activity vehicles to be used to transport tourists with mobility challenges for game drives were unveiled on Tuesday, December 4, by Lucy Nhlapo, GM: Marula Region of the Kruger National Park on behalf of KNP management. The 14-seat vehicles form part of the KNP Visitor Management Plan, and can lift a weight of up to…
Habitas plans to open its first hotel in Africa. The new hotel will be situated in Namibia, about an hour’s drive from Hosea Kutako International Airport. Oliver Ripley, CEO of Habitas, revealed that Habitas has reached an agreement with Comsar Properties to convert its property into a wildlife and nature conservation reserve, housing a 40-room…
Kenya Tourism Board, working in partnership with CornerSun Destination Marketing, has opened registration for the upcoming Kenya Travel Workshops to take place in Boston, Washington DC & New York City. Qualified travel advisors and tour operators interested in participating should register at the following links: Boston – December 3rd at the über chic, Liberty Hotel…
The New York Travel Show will be held on 27 January 2018 – 29 January 2018 at the Javits Convention Center in New York. This is the largest travel trade show of its kind in the US, and the largest consumer travel show in the country, attracting over 20,000 consumer attendees over 3 days. More…
Tour Operator iWorld of Travel has officially added Malawi to their portfolio of destinations announcing a special “Lunar Eclipse Spectacular” package for 2019. The program includes Lilongwe, Liwonde and Mangochi 7 Days / 6 Nights (January 17th – 23rd, 2019) Prices starting from $2,755 per person Journey Overview: View the lunar eclipse from Lake Malawi Experience…
The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) and African Parks made history in May 2017, when a small founder population of Cheetahs was successfully relocated to Liwonde National Park in Malawi, restoring the population of this threatened species at least 20 years after its extinction in the country. Now, history has been made again, as the first cubs have been born…
The Pan African Hotel group, ONOMO Hotels chain, has opened its business in Rwanda, seeking to boost business tourism in Kigali and the rest of East Africa. ONOMO Hotels officially inaugurated their new hotel in Kigali, Rwanda’s capital city, in addition to their portfolio during an auspicious and glamorous event hosted late last week. The…
The Maputo–Katembe Bridge in Mozambique, Africa’s longest suspension bridge that costed a whooping US $750m has officially been opened to traffic. Financed by China and built by China Road and Bridge Corporation, the project began in June 2014. The entire structure is nearly 3km long, comprising a kilometre-long ramp on either side of a 680-metre span over Maputo Bay,…
Wilderness Safaris has introduced new fully serviced, privately-guided mobile camping safaris in Namibia. The exclusive safaris speak to adventurous travellers who want to “get back to nature and explore the vast and pristine wilderness areas”, with an expert guide, but with the comforts of a pre-setup camp. “The term ‘full serviced’ means that there is…
Lilongwe Wildlife Trust has launched a Malawi Conservation Experience, which gives participants the opportunity to work with animals and contribute to the country’s conservation drive. Feeding into the “travel with purpose” trend, the two-week experience combines hands-on work with rescued animals at Malawi’s only wildlife sanctuary, assisting with elephant and primate research, and spending time…
RIU Hotels has just opened the Riu Palace Boavista, which is its fifth hotel in Cape Verde and its third on the island of Boa Vista, following a total investment of 70 million euros. The five-star hotel is located by Praia das Dunas and it offers the exclusive all-inclusive 24-hour service of RIU together with…