The Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) alongside its partners will be the driving force behind the Seychelles Ocean Festival, an event that promotes marine-based tourism in the island archipelago. The event is an opportunity for STB to sensitize the local population about the role and importance of the marine world for Seychelles as a destination, the…
The Greater Kruger Card App, is a state-of-the-art tourist information system for those visiting the greater Hoedspruit, Panorama, Kruger National Park (KNP) and Lowveld regions in South Africa. It aims to improve tourist safety with live push notifications alerting users to any protest action or blockades, whilst providing up-to-date maps and information on activities, accommodation…
Kenya Tourism Board is increasing its efforts to promote travel to the country by appointing CornerSun Destination Marketing to support ongoing marketing efforts in North America. The move comes just a week after Kenya Airways began the first direct flights from New York’s JFK to Nairobi. CornerSun will begin its promotional campaign with a multi-city…
CornerSun Destination Marketing has added Kenya Tourism Board to their growing list of clients securing project based marketing representation services for KTB through 2019. CornerSun’s first responsibility will be to execute a multi-city roadshow for Kenya in Boston (3 Dec), Washington DC (5 Dec) and New York (6 Dec). During 2019, they will conduct a comprehensive…
Leslie Lodge, a luxury Bed & Breakfast located in the heart of Malawi’s largest city, Blantyre, has been awarded Number 1 Bed and Breakfast Lodge in Blantyre by world-renowned review site TripAdvisor. Leslie lodge has repeatedly received 5 star reviews from guests, earning the 1st place award out of 22 currently listed B&B accommodation. The…
Ethiopian members of parliament have elected Sahle-Work Zewde as the country’s first female president. Ms Sahle-Work is an experienced diplomat who has now become Africa’s only female head of state. Her election to the ceremonial position comes a week after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed appointed a cabinet with half the posts taken up by women.…
Completing the Kenya Authorized Travel Specialist (KATS) Program will not only qualify you as a Kenya Authorized Travel Specialist with the Kenya Tourism Board, it will undoubtedly boost your Kenya sales. From multi-generation safari-goers to honeymooners to luxe safari clients, Kenya is an easy sell destination for a multitude of clients. Benefits include: Two continuing…
The Elewana Collection would like to notify you that guests due to fly to the Masai Mara with either AirKenya Express or Safarilink Aviation due to stay at Elewana Elephant Pepper Camp will now land at Musiara Airstrip. Guests will be transferred by vehicle to the camp, which is approximately a one hour drive. The…
For the ultimate in luxury on the lakeshore, The Makokola Retreat have now opened a set of brand new stunning lakeside suites and a sunset villa boasting terrific views of Lake Malawi, with state-of-the-art infinity pools for the perfect getaway. Built along the far side of the resort, pitched by the beach on the shores…
Last month, the celebrated festival of music and culture Lake of Stars returned to Malawi for its 15th anniversary event, smashing all previous festival records and delivering a 3-day extravaganza that left festival goers in awe. Despite challenges including high winds and sandstorms Lake of Stars shone brightly, proving it’s worth yet again as Malawi’s…
As interest in travel to Uganda continues to grow, Uganda Tourism is pleased to announce the successful habituation of three gorilla families in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Following approximately two years of daily exposure to humans, these gorillas have been incorporated into the country’s gorilla trekking program, bringing the total…
Airlink has introduced a business class service to it’s Cape Town-Victoria Falls route. The airline offers direct flights from Cape Town to Victoria Falls. The business class service will be available to international premium travelers who arrive in Cape Town and travel directly to Victoria Falls. A premium cabin will be available to the passengers…
Leslie Lodge in Blantyre, Malawi has been completely revamped. The lodge was taken over by new owners at the end of 2016. The renovation included an overhaul of all guest rooms as well as the addition of seven more rooms with a fresh look and trendy feel. The lodge now has 17 rooms, 13 of which have…
Tintswalo at Lapalala Wilderness has opened in the Waterberg region, Limpopo. It is one of only two commercial lodges within the 44 500-hectare Lapalala Wilderness Reserve. The family-friendly lodge comprises seven luxury tented suites with private plunge pools, en-suite bathrooms and outdoor baths and showers, and includes a two-bedroom family suite. The lodge accommodates a total…
The Kigali Cultural Village (KCV) in Rwanda’s capital city has completed phase one of construction. Located on Rebero Hill, Kicukiro District, with expansive views of the city, the facility is due to be an eco-tourism and cultural village to promote and conserve the culture and environment of Rwanda. According to the Rwanda Development Board (RDB),…
The Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) has opened two new hiking trials in the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve. The Belvedere day walk is estimated at around five hours and will start at Bourke’s Luck Potholes, head to Belvedere Guest House and then back to Bourke’s Luck. The Waterval trail is a three-day-long hike…
I wish people would focus on what I do, not what I wear,” First Lady Melania Trump lamented on the final day of her solo four-country trip to Africa, which took her last week to Ghana, Malawi, Kenya, and Egypt. She was reacting to criticism of the pith helmet she had worn earlier in Kenya.…
With its amazing reduced rates for international guests held for the rest of the year, Nkwichi Lodge’s latest newsletter has an overview of what to expect on Lake Malawi over the next few months, plus a run-down of the various activities available at the lodge and across the Manda Wilderness Reserve. For the remainder of…
Kymberly will be representing &Beyond Africa, Asia and South America and will focus on Retail Sales in Western U.S.A. and Canada. She will be based in Vancouver, and supported by Shaun Strydom, Group Sales Manager, who is located in our Johannesburg office. Meet Kymberly From her early days in 2004 as Director, Industry Relations with…
COME ENJOY A TASTE OF AFRICA – Only a metro card required. Sponsored by: The Africa Channel, Guinness Extra Stout, Wave The African Restaurant Week Festival line-up: + Over 25 restaurants/food vendors representing cuisines from all of Africa – North, South, East and West + Local/International/celebrity/emerging chefs + Chef demos, and goodie bag giveaways +…
Air Kenya and Aerolink Uganda interline service to launch in June 2019 Bucket list travelers seeking to combine a Kenyan safari with gorilla trekking, a boat safari on the Nile, and other uniquely Ugandan adventures will be able to do so easier than ever with new interline air service launching next year. Starting June 1,…
The Uganda National Roads Association (UNRA) has announced that the new 525m-long bridge across the source of the Nile in Jinja will be opened this month. Construction began in January 2014 and was expected to cost US$125 million, financed largely by a loan from the Japanese government with the Ugandan government supplementing the remainder of…
Mpumalanga has been plagued with protests, as locals in both Mpumalanga and Limpopo are taking action over service delivery issues. Many protestors have taken to the streets to voice their frustration, however, such action is taking its toll on the tourism industry. Tourism Update recently conducted a poll, asking readers to vote whether the ongoing service…
Immigration department spokesperson Joseph Chauwa said the rolling out of the online visa is a milestone in the country’s history, saying tourists will now be able to apply for visa and where applicable pay for the visa online. “Our contractors, Technobrain are working round the clock to ensure that the facility is rolled out by…
South Africa will allegedly scrap the child visa requirements after visitor number declined by “1.5% year-on-year in the first seven months of this year,” Business Tech SA reported. The official announcement is expected to be detailed by President Ramaphose on Friday. According to a statement issued after a Cabinet Meeting on Wednesday, 20th September, a…
U.S. first lady Melania Trump will visit four countries in Africa next month, on her first major solo international trip. Mrs. Trump, the wife of U.S. President Donald Trump, will make stops in Ghana, Malawi, Kenya and Egypt during the first week in October, according to a White House statement released Wednesday. “October 1 will…
More than 200 people have died in a ferry capsize in Tanzania, as rescuers continue the rush to find survivors. At least 42 people drowned after the ferry sank in Lake Victoria, but government officials fear the final death toll could be more than 200, a senior official claimed. Read more here
The APTA Forum wrapped up in Denver Saturday night and it was one of our most successful Forums ever. Speakers from all aspects of the travel industry came together to educate, inform, promote and network all that Africa has to offer. APTA Forum is the nation’s premier gathering of the African travel industry with 100…
Uganda’s national government has announced that a number of agencies in the country have been dissolved and will be incorporated into their relevant ministries. The Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) and Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) are among the 71 agencies to be disbanded. The announcement was made following a Cabinet meeting that took place on Monday,…
Qatar Airways will launch flights from Doha to Kenya’s coastal city of Mombasa on December 9. The flight will operate four times a week and is Qatar’s second Kenyan destination, with the airline currently flying to Nairobi. Akbar Al Baker, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, said: “Qatar Airways sees Kenya as an important market for…
Make sure you are at the APTA National Forum in Denver this week so you can hear Peter Lindstrom speak about the Changing Dynamics of Community Based Tourism in East Africa. You don’t want to miss his presentation “Talking with the Elders … and Now the Youngers.” Peter Lindstrom, Kenya born of Danish parents, grew…
Serendib Hotels and Resorts, responsible for running several large hotels and conference centres around Malawi have launched a unique lakeside dining experience on their new ‘floating restaurant’ docked at Blue Waters by Serendib. The Namalenje Lake Cruise is a self-powered boat which allows you to experience the beauty and magic of Lake Malawi whilst enjoying…
Lucinda Kerschensteiner, MBA, is the Founder of Uhambo USA, a nonprofit that is dedicated to supporting children with disabilities in Africa through its partner organization, the Uhambo Foundation of South Africa. Lucinda felt compelled to support the work of Uhambo after conducting project work in southern Africa for her graduate program, being inspired by the…
Takulandirani Malawi International Tourism Expo (MITE) will be held 25-27 April 2019 at the Bingu Wa Mutharika International Convention Center. This is the place to sample Malawi’s unique tourism products all under one roof while you meet and mingle with international buyers, media, local and regional exhibitors and other industry players who showcase the various tourism products and services…
Emily Davenport has spent nearly two decades devoted to providing care to both pets and wildlife. She spent eight years working as a veterinary technician for a community animal hospital and over six years, Emily worked in several capacities with wildlife such as birds of prey and currently serves as President of the Board of…
Tapiwa, a born and bred Malawian and has been Malawian Style’s leading lady for the last 4 years. Having extensively travelled round Malawi & Zambia she is an expert in the African market of the travel community and can easily answer any queries you have for this area. Tapiwa is a passionate Malawi advocate having…
The newest edition of the annual APTA Corporate Directory will debut at the upcoming APTA Forum in Denver but you can get a sneak peek right now on the APTA website! Click here to see it
On 28th October 2018, Kenya’s national carrier, Kenya Airways (KQ) will begin a whole new flight; an inaugural flight that has been in the making for over a decade now. It is on this date that Kenya Airways will commence direct non-stop flights between Nairobi and New York. This will be a major historic milestone…
We still have a few rooms on our group rate at The Oxford and The Maven available to Forum attendees. If needed, please contact events@apta.biz for rooms right away. Bookings must be made via APTA for reduced rates. More info on APTA National Forum – https://apta.biz/forum
Algeria and Mauritania on Sunday opened a first ever border crossing between the two countries, Algerian media reported. Algeria’s Interior Minister Noureddine Bedoui and his Mauritanian counterpart Ahmedou Ould Abdallah inaugurated the post near the Algerian town of Tindouf, telling journalists that it would boost security and trade. The national news agency APS said the…
The One&Only Nyungwe House resort, on the edge of the Nyungwe rainforest in the mountainous landscape of Rwanda’s southwest, will start welcoming guests on October 1, and is the first new property in the One&Only Nature Resorts’ portfolio. “It is an absolute privilege and an honour to confirm the opening of One&Only Nyungwe House, the…
Dave Johnson is a Zookeeper from Denver, Colorado. He has been working with the pachyderm collection there since 1998, but his career actually encompasses so much more. Dave has written three conservation books for kids, all focusing on the protection and passion it takes to save other species from extinction. He leads people on treks…
The return of Malawi’s wildlife to protected parks and reserves is just one of myriad reasons discerning travelers are flocking to this landlocked country in southeast Africa. Though renowned worldwide for its friendly and welcoming culture, Malawi once seldom made the list as a coveted safari destination due to decades of poaching and deforestation. But thanks…
After more than a century behind bars, the beasts on boxes of animal crackers are roaming free. Mondelez International, the parent company of Nabisco, has redesigned the packaging of its Barnum’s Animals crackers after relenting to pressure from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. PETA, which has been protesting the use of animals in…
2018 has been a year of celebration in Uganda’s conservation fraternity as the country continues to welcome wildlife births! Earlier in the year, Adventure Consults must have shared the exciting news of the first baby giraffe in Lake Mburo National Park, in the past few months, we have recorded a number mountain gorilla babies and…
We are thrilled to have Tristan Cowley as one of the speakers at the APTA National Forum in Denver on September 14th & 15th! Tristan is also the founder of the Conservation Travel Foundation, which in the last 5 years has invested in excess of USD 400,000 into conservation and rural development projects, and also co-founded the…
Lions, lions, and more lions have dominated Liwonde National Park’s management time of late. Today they can proudly report to all their supporters that another milestone has been reached. Just this morning they released the second lion pride consisting of three females, and two males into the greater park. Two of these animals have been…
The Only One, a luxury yacht charter based in Cape Town, Western Cape, has introduced Around Robben Island Trips. Beverley Dean, a representative from The Only One, told Tourism Update that the new offering was introduced because of Robben Island no longer allowing them to do private yacht tours to the island itself. “We thought we had…
Poachers have broken into Botswana’s prime tourism concession, killing more than 40 elephants. Michael Chase, Founder of Elephants without Borders (EWB), said in a report that the elephants were killed in a famous wilderness area, managed by one of the world’s largest eco-tourism travel companies. He called for help from tourism companies in prime tourism…
“For my birthday, I can think of no better gift than connecting my global family with this beautiful country and the children who need our help most” Madonna will celebrate her upcoming 60th birthday with an online fundraiser to benefit her Raising Malawi foundation. “I have an unwavering commitment to providing vulnerable children with a loving home. For my birthday,…