Marriott International today announced the opening of Sheraton Bamako Hotel marking its entry into Mali, in West Africa. This milestone further solidifies Marriott International’s portfolio across West Africa, and promises to revolutionize the hospitality landscape in the country through Sheraton’s distinct product offering coupled with its commitment to go above and beyond for its guests.…
The second annual Malawi International Tourism Expo (MITE) wrapped up this past Saturday and was largely considered a smashing success. The show nearly doubled in size since its inaugural instance in 2017 with over 80 participating suppliers and 54 buyers representing over 10 countries traveling to Lilongwe for the expo. Both Malawi’s Minister of Tourism…
The nationwide strike affecting the South African bus industry is continuing, with many services still not operating. MyCiTi service in Cape Town and the Gautrain buses remain suspended until further notice. The nationwide strike is still ongoing and, as such, buses are not operating. With the strike entering its third week, there was still no…
Malawi and Zambia have signed a tourism pact that will see them complementing each other rather than competing in the sector. During the Malawi Tourism Exposition, ‘Takulandilani’, Malawi’s Minister of Tourism, Henry Mussa, suggested that the marketing synergy for the two countries could yield better results if they promoted their tourism products jointly. He acknowledged that…
Today Malawi officially welcomed international, regional and local buyers, media and tourism enterprises, operators & stakeholders, to the 2nd edition of Takulandirani Malawi International Tourism Expo, MITE, being held from 26th to 28th April, 2018 at the Bingu Wa Mutharika International Convention Center (BICC) in Lilongwe.
Air Botswana is in negotiations with the Botswana government to secure funds for the acquisition of a new aircraft to service the Cape Town-Gaborone direct route. Minister of Transport and Communications, Kitso Mokaila, recently told a press briefing that the Ministry intended to procure a new jet within three months. “The Cape Town-Gaborone route is currently…
Emirates has announced its renewed support to Mauritius and the Seychelles by extending its global marketing agreement with the respective Tourism Boards of the two countries. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed at the 2018 Arabian Travel Market, by Orhan Abbas, Emirates’ Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations for Africa and Sherin Francis, Chief Executive Officer…
Located on a large open plain stretching towards the Shire River in Liwonde National Park, you will find Kuthengo Camp nestled among Fever trees and Baobabs. With resident fish eagles nesting in these Baobabs, you will be woken to ‘Africa’s voice’ calling as you rise in this wild and natural paradise. Our four spacious and…
There are not many people in the world who are able to change the name of a nation. But King Mswati can – he is one of the world’s few absolute monarchs. King Mswati III of Swaziland announced on Wednesday that he was renaming the country “the Kingdom of eSwatini”. The monarch announced the official…
Effective 6 May 2018, Airlink will launch direct flights between Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth. The new service will be served by one of Airlinks recently acquired 74 seat Embraer E170 aircraft, The flights depart from OR Tambo International Airport at 18h10 arriving at Port Elizabeth International Airport at 19h40, Monday to Friday and Sundays. The return flight departs Port Elizabeth at 06h45 arriving at Johannesburg…
It is with a heavy heart we report that tour guide Rusten of Blue Crane Safaris, a Namibian based tour company, passed away this past weekend. He had recently led a group of US and Canadian journalists on a 10-day press tour tour of Northern Namibia’s four rivers region. The group had nothing but praise…
Attracting more foreign and domestic tourists makes a great deal of sense for Zimbabwe, as the country forges ahead with efforts to turn around the economy and create more jobs. Given that tourism is a “low hanging fruit” the world over, the country stands to benefit immensely from this global industry, provided all enablers are…
African Parks have been responsible for transforming Malawi’s wildlife in recent years, helping it to emerge as one of Africa’s most complete destinations as the quality of its safaris develops to match the cultural, scenic and adventure experiences already well established. With new initiatives and projects continuing to be announced through 2018, their commitment to…
NAIROBI, Kenya — A Kenya-based wildlife organization says prominent conservationist Daphne Sheldrick has died at age 83. A statement by The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust says she died Thursday evening after a long battle with breast cancer. Sheldrick received global attention for her work raising more than 200 orphaned baby elephants. The statement says that…
Alitalia, today re-launched its Johannesburg-Rome route after 17 years away, making it the only carrier to host a direct flight between the two cities. “We [the city of Ekhuruleni] are extremely excited at the return of Alitalia after a 16-year absence from our skies. The reintroduction of Alitalia is a welcome boost to our ambition…
A new lodge will soon officially open on the outskirts of Kang village on the southern border of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve in Botswana. Kealeboga Moloi, Sales and Marketing Manager, said Phofu Kalahari Lodge would have two luxury en-suite rooms and seven en-suite tented chalets. “Guests will experience a luxurious African lifestyle in one…
A new luxury boutique hotel will open in Victoria Falls in early 2019, adjacent to the Zambezi National Park. “The Mbano Manor Hotel’s vision is to cater for the top-end of the international market with an upmarket and deluxe offering in Victoria Falls, in a forest setting only four kilometres away from the world-famous landmark,”…
After a year’s break, Malawi’s biggest international arts event, the Lake of Stars Festival, is returning to the central region for its 15th anniversary celebrations. The three day extravaganza will take place this year in a new location in Leopards Bay, Lifuwa Salima. The festival, which was recently voted one of the World’s Best in the…
The APTA National Forum will be taking place in Denver, Colorado at the historic Oxford Hotel situated in the popular Lower Downtown (LoDo) area. This is your chance to meet some of the influencers, changemakers and pioneers in the world of Africa, conservation and travel plus reconnect with your fellow APTA members. When: Friday, September…
Forbes has published their list of top 10 coolest cities to visit in 2018 and three of the 10 are in Africa. You can check out the whole list here – http://www3.forbes.com/business/the-10-coolest-cities-around-the-world-to-visit-in-2018/ #10 – Addis Ababa, Ethiopia “Many travelers fly into Addis Ababa and then head straight out,” says Tom Marchant, the cofounder and owner of…
The Government of Malawi and African Parks have just announced the signing of the agreement to expand their management of Liwonde National Park to include Mangochi Forest Reserve, a 320 km2 adjoining forest and water catchment area. This agreement marks a very exciting development of the expansion of Malawi’s premier wildlife reserve. The signing took place…
A new in-depth elephant safari experience is set to launch at iMfolozi Game Reserve in KwaZulu Natal, affording participants the opportunity to study and explore one of the Big Five. The Elephant Experience will delve into the complex social structures of elephant cows and bulls, as well as their behavioural patterns, anatomy, and their importance…
South African anti-apartheid campaigner and former first lady Winnie Madikizela-Mandela has died aged 81. She and her former husband Nelson Mandela, who were both jailed, were a symbol of the country’s anti-apartheid struggle for three decades. However, in later years her reputation became tainted legally and politically. Crowds of mourners and political figures flocked to…
Camp Jabulani has taken a bold and considerable decision to keep the 2019 season rates UNCHANGED, as well as taking the decision to ABSORB the VAT INCREASE of 1%, which was recently imposed by the South African Government, for both the current rates, as well as the 2019 rates. Effectively this means their rates remain unchanged…
Four years after the last lion was seen in Liwonde, African Parks have reintroduced the first of several wild lions back into the National Park. In partnership with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW), and with support from the Dutch Government and the Lion Recovery Fund, two mature males were released into…
AirKenya has suspended services into the Olare Orok Airstrip in Masai Mara, as well as the Nanyuki Civil Airstrip, owing to the heavy rainfall and resulting floods across the country. The runways have become slippery, making the airstrips unserviceable. Alternative airstrips have been recommended: Alternative to Olare Orok: Mara North and Olkiombo airstrips Alternative to…
(CNN)The world’s last male northern white rhino has died leaving only two females left to save the subspecies from extinction. The 45-year-old rhino named Sudan had been in poor health in recent days and was being treated for age-related issues and multiple infections. A veterinary team made the decision to euthanize Sudan after his condition deteriorated significantly,…
An official statement from South African Tourism has confirmed that ‘day zero’ – the date when the regular water supply would be cut off because of sever drought – will not be happening this year. Tolene van der Merwe, hub head UK & Ireland for South African Tourism said: “During this challenging time, the tourism…
South African Airways (SAA) has announced the appointment of Marlene Sanau as the new vice president of sales, North America, based at the airline’s North America Regional Office in Fort Lauderdale. In this role, she will be responsible for implementing sales strategies to strengthen and grow business relationships with SAA’s travel trade partners, online travel…
Imvelo Safari Lodges recently launched The Stimela Star, Zimbabwe’s only private overnight sleeper train. The Stimela Star operates from Victoria Falls to Hwange National Park, linking up to the regular Victoria Falls-Bulawayo passenger train, transporting guests on an overnight journey to Hwange. Imvelo is offering ten scheduled departures for 2018 but additional departures can be…
The continued violent tussle between Uber and metered taxi drivers has forced The Blue Train to implement further security measures, as passengers’ safety has become a growing concern. The Blue Train issued a statement on Friday (March 9) raising their concerns over the safety of both their guests and staff when being picked up or…
Satemwa Tea Estate is a 3rd generation family owned Tea and Coffee Estate in the Shire Highlands of Malawi. It’s one of only few remaining family around tea estates in the world as huge companies producing commodity tea have purchased most. Proud of its family heritage Satemwa tea and coffee is made with love, passion…
Ker & Downey’s luxury tented safari camp, Dinaka, opened its doors this month, after undergoing a total rebuild in December. The exclusive camp is alongside the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, which has one of the most unique bio-diversities in Southern Africa, and offers a plethora of wildlife and safari experiences. The 16-bed tented camp is…
The Kenya Tourism Ministry has unveiled plans to deliver a refreshed marketing strategy that aims to reposition Kenya as a premium experiential destination in Africa. This will take place after the completion of two major studies done by two international consultants – one of which successfully developed the South African tourism strategy. With the current…
You are invited to an exclusive evening hosted by the Kenya Tourism Board. the Kenya Tourism Board invites you to an exclusive complementary evening to explore Africa’s most Magical destination. Network with top Kenyan suppliers and learn about their unique product offerings. Enter for a chance to win prizes, like a trip for two to…
Airlink regrets to announce the suspension of air services on their Pretoria-Cape Town route. “This was not a decision taken lightly, but after almost three years, the route has not developed as we expected it would and in order to stem losses, we will suspend services from the 8th of May 2018,” explained Airlink CEO,…
Lions will soon return to Liwonde National Park after years of absence as African Parks has started the introduction process. The first stage in the process was completed on Saturday when two lions were caught at Majete Wildlife Reserve. Liwonde National ParkThe movement of these two pride males paves way for African Parks’ plans of…
Finance minister Malusi Gigaba has announced that South Africa will see its first VAT rate increase for the first time in 25 years. As of 1 April 2018, the effective VAT rate will rise from 14% to 15% adding approximately R22,9 billion to the fiscus, Gigaba said in his budget speech on Wednesday. “In developing…
Beginning 1 July Flightlink will be operating new service between Dar es Salaam and Kilimanjaro and then onward to Zanzibar. Departure/Arrival Times: DAR/JRO – 18:30 / 19:30 JRO/ZNZ – 20:00 / 21:00 ZNZ/DAR – 21:20 / 21:40 Book online at www.flightlink.co.tz
The new APTA membership platform and website will launch to the public on March 1st. This constitutes the first major overhaul of the APTA platform since its last major redesign over five years ago. The new platform will allow greater access to education and news on Africa to our individual members and greater exposure for…
Malawi,the “Warm Heart of Africa” links the Southern and Eastern Africa region and offers unique flora and fauna which include the magnificent Lake Malawi, diverse nature which includes rivers, mountains and valleys; wide variety of wildlife in spectacular surroundings; vibrant culture and people legendarily renowned for friendliness and hospitality and international standard MICE facilities. Malawi…
Canadians will shortly be able to fly overnight non-stop to Africa arriving at 7am. Ethiopian Airlines is about to introduce direct flights from Toronto and Washington DC, and from Chicago in June. Ethiopian Airlines’ hub in Addis Ababa has connecting flights to the main safari holiday destinations throughout Africa, including, Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana, Victoria Falls,…
‘Day Zero’ has moved to June 4 due to the continued decline in agricultural usage and the decrease in residential water consumption. Over the past week, usage has been lowered to 526 million litres per day. This is the first time that the weekly average usage has remained under 550 million litres. In a statement,…
Ethiopian Airlines Group, the largest Aviation Holding Company in Africa and SKYTRAX certified Four Star Global Airline, is pleased to announce that it will commence direct flight from Addis Ababa to Chicago effective as of June 09, 2018. West Bound, Passengers from the entire continent of Africa will connect to Chicago and beyond through our…
Malawi is now officially the hottest African destination for 2018! And it’s not just us saying that – newspapers, magazines and websites around the world have been tripping over themselves to include Malawi in a quite amazing number of ’Top Destinations’ lists in 2017 and for 2018. For a long time Malawi’s stunning beaches, beautiful…
The Namibian Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Charles B. Yosob, has entreated Ghana’s Minister of Aviation to lend her full support to the re-entry of Air Namibia to the Ghanaian aviation industry. He said processes are far advanced for Air Namibia’s re-entry, with the airline scheduled to re-launch on March 24, 2018, but needed more support…
Cape Town and the Western Cape are open for business, and ready to welcome visitors to our beautiful city and province. We need tourism now more than ever, as we aim to keep our economy growing and creating jobs during this challenging drought. This is critical. International press coverage of the drought, and on the…
From 26-28 January, APTA shined at the New York Times Travel Show showcasing our members including Seychelles Tourism Board, Zimbabwe Tourism Authority, Infinite Safari Adventures, South Africa Travel & Tours, South African Airways Vacations and African Angel Tours. This was the 15th annual New York Times Travel Show and it had the largest attendance since…
The Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) has reinstated a passenger service charged (PSC) and the aviation infrastructure development fund (AIDEF) on Air Zimbabwe-issued tickets. “With effect from February 1, 2018, all Air Zimbabwe-issued tickets will include the PSC and AIDEF and the codes CB and XI will appear on the ticket,” read a statement…
What is the current water restriction and how will this affect tourists travelling to Cape Town? • Level 6b restrictions will go into effect from February 1, when daily water consumption per person per household will be limited to 50 litres. All people residing in the city should reduce their consumption to 50 litres immediately.…