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.…
Planning to visit Cape Town and the Western Cape?Come and enjoy, but be mindful of the drought Come enjoy….Cape Town and the Western Cape are open for business in spite of the current drought. Visitors are arriving in a place with a significant breadth and depth of experiences and exceptional beauty. However, as beautiful as…
Air Mauritius has cancelled further flights to and from Mauritius today (January 18). On the Johannesburg and Cape Town routes, flights MK851 and MK852, and flights MK843 and MK844 have been cancelled respectively. Further flight cancellations are as follows: -Rodrigues: MK120/121, MK130/121, MK140/141. -Réunion, St Denis: MK218/219, MK238/239, MK248/249. -Réunion, St Pierre: MK226/227, MK256/257. -Antananarivo:…
On January 15, City Lodge opened the first phase of City Lodge Hotel at Two Rivers in Nairobi, Kenya, with the remainder expected to open by the end of February. The first 40 rooms are open, a further 44 rooms will be available start of February and the hotel will be fully operational by the…
Effective March 8, Mango will increase frequencies on the Johannesburg-Zanzibar route. A Thursday flight departing from OR Tambo International at 10h00 will be added to the existing Tuesday and Saturday schedule. Last month, Mango also introduced the first self-bag-drop-off technology for a low-cost airline in Africa. It is currently only available at Lanseria airport.
In July 2019 Rovos Rail will set off on a new 15-day trip across Tanzania, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Angola. “To be able to introduce a new adventure after 29 years in operation is exciting and presents me with a refreshing operational challenge,” says Rohan Vos, owner and CEO. “It’s taken…
FlyDubai began flights to Kilimanjaro International Airport on December 15, its third destination in Tanzania after Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar. Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO of FlyDubai, said: “With our service to Kilimanjaro, we are responding to a growing demand for travel between the UAE and Tanzania. FlyDubai is the first UAE airline to offer…
The Langa Quarter tourism enterprise, based in Langa Township in Cape Town, was recently officially launched. Spearheaded by Tony Elvin, who has, together with the local community, transformed the township into a hub of enterprise and social development projects, The Langa Quarter SEP (Social Enterprise Precinct) project forms part of the Ikhaya Le Langa NPC…
On January 1, Constance Hotels & Resorts opened the Constance Aiyana on the island of Pemba, in Tanzania’s Zanzibar archipelago. Located on the northern tip of the island, on the Ras Kigomasha Peninsula, the hotel offers 30 villas made up of eight Beachfront Prestige Villas, 18 Beachfront Senior Villas, two Beachfront Ambassador Villas, a Beachfront…
Wilderness Safaris has opened Qorokwe Camp, a new Classic Camp in Qorokwe Concession, bordering Moremi Game Reserve in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. There are nine tented suites, one of which is a family unit with its own splash pool; a dining area; lounge; library; bar and infinity swimming pool. The camp operates on 100% solar…
All visitors to Rwanda started to get a 30-day visa upon arrival without prior application,Effective Monday January 1, 2018. In view of bilateral agreements, nationals of the following countries may visit Rwanda without a visa for a period up to 90 days: Benin, Central African Republic, Chad, DRC, Ghana, Guinea, Indonesia, Haiti, Mauritius, Philippines, Senegal,…
Kenya Airways is eyeing New York in its debut direct flight to United States. New York’s JFK Airport was the United State’s fourth-busiest airport in 2016, according to Airports Council International. The national carrier is expected to start flying directly in the next three months. The airline, which last week received regulatory approval to operate…
Each year, the New York Times publishes its list of “52 Places To Go” in the year ahead. Placement on this list doesn’t just mean a destination is worth visiting, it means there is something special happening in that place, right now, that makes this the perfect time to experience it. This year, four different…
One of the high points in Ethiopian’s 73-year history happened in July 1998 when the airline began flights to Washington, D.C. Today, thousands of departures and arrivals later, ET flies from three U.S. cities – Washington, D.C., Los Angeles (started 2015), and Newark (started 2016) – taking Americans to 54 cities in Africa, and to…
(Seychelles News Agency) – The year 2017 has been good for Seychelles’ tourism industry, which has seen a 20 percent increase in tourism earnings over the previous year, the tourism minister said on Monday. “We have, since November, set a new tourism arrival record. The important point is the corresponding tourism earnings which up to…
Etihad Airways had a bad year in 2017. The airline lost their investment partners airberlin and Alitalia. It amounts to a record loss for this airline owned by the UAE government. Luckily the airline is owned by the oil-rich government, what eliminates bankruptcy, but saving money without compromising premium services seems to be on the…
In June, UNICEF partnered with U.S. company Zipline to use the city of Kasungu in Malawi as Africa’s first drone “air corridor” to test the use of unmanned aerial vehicles as a rapid transport method of delivering time-sensitive medicine and supplies. In a country plagued with a severe lack of functional infrastructure, aerial transportation could…
AndBeyond plans to open the Tengile River Lodge in South Africa’s Sabi Sand Game Reserve next Dec. 1. The new lodge will share unfenced borders with the Kruger National Park. The lodge will feature nine riverfront suites that open out onto the forest; each features a private deck, a lap pool and an outdoor lounge.…
Cape Town brought in new restrictions on the use of water on 1 January, as South Africa’s Western Cape region faces its worst drought in a century. The newly implemented “level six” restrictions to face the worst drought that has affected the Western Cape region in 113 years differ depending on who you are: Nobody…
The South African-based safari company Natural Selection has announced it will open the Hoanib Valley Camp in the remote and wild Kaokoland in northwest Namibia in May. The camp is a joint venture between Natural Selection, the local communities and the Giraffe Conservation Foundation. Located in the Sesfontein Community Conservancy, the camp sits on the…
Deputy president defeats Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma in vote that could determine country’s trajectory for decades. Cyril Ramaphosa, an anti-apartheid activist turned tycoon and politician, has been chosen by the African National Congress as its leader for the next five years. The battle to lead South Africa’s ruling party, which has been in power for 23 years…
“Black Tomato’s Marchant says this country is “ripe for discovery. It offers sprawling, wildlife-rich national parks that make for the perfect safari away from the crowds, while the vast expanse of Lake Malawi is the perfect beach retreat with its endless white-sand coastlines and crystal clear waters perfect for snorkeling.” The year 2017 saw the…
Ethiopian Airlines operated its first ever domestic flight within Africa to be staffed by an all-female crew on 16 December. The flight from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia to Lagos in Nigeria was (wo)manned entirely by women, from pilots to cabin crew, check-in staff to flight dispatchers on the ground, reports This Is Africa. The Boeing…
SAA and Mango will rationalise their route networks, resulting in additional Mango-operated flights for the domestic market. The revised schedule will take effect from January 15, 2018 and will see some of the flights operated by SAA at present, operated by Mango in the future. Both SAA and Mango currently together offer 200 return flights…
Kenya has again been voted as the world’s leading safari destination by the World Travel Awards. Kenya scooped the prestigious award during a grand ceremony that took place at JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay Hotel in Vietnam on December 10. It is the fourth time that Kenya has won the global accolade. Kenya bagged…
Three airlines have been named by the Ghana Aviation Minister as those currently been examined for the establishment of a national carrier. Cecelia Dapaah says Air Mauritius, Ethiopian Air and indigenous carrier Africa World Air are currently deeply engaged with government for setting up a national carrier. This follows recent policy approval by parliament for…
The new Minister of Tourism and Hospitality for Zimbabwe was appointed today by the president. She is the Honorable Miss Cde Pricah Mupfumira. She was recently removed by former President Mugabe as the Public Service Minister. Dr. Jorum Gumbu was appointed as Minister of Transport. Joram Macdonald Gumbo was a member of the Pan-African Parliament…
Malawi Department of Tourism, a division of the Malawian Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism, has appointed American consultancy CornerSun Destination Marketing as their agency of record in North America. CornerSun will be focusing on crafting a market-entry strategy for Malawi that primarily measures the opportunity in the market and establishes presence for Malawi in…
Ethiopian Airlines, the largest Aviation Group in Africa and SKYTRAX certified Four StarGlobal Airline, is pleased to announce that it has launched a brand new Mobile Application, which encompasses an array of features that enhance customers’ travel experience with simplified and end-to-end options for flight booking and management by using their Android mobile devices. On…
Kampala — Travellers to and from Entebbe International Airport from Kampala will save up to three times the amount of time they currently spend between the two towns when the Kampala-Entebbe Expressway is opened. According to Mr Li Jincheng, the project manager Kampala-Entebbe Expressway, the expressway – first of its kind in Uganda, will reduce…
Airlink and Safair, two independent South African aviation groups, will tomorrow (Tuesday 28 November 2017) apply to South Africa’s Competition Commission for approval to unite under the common umbrella of the Airlink group of companies. The proposal sees the Airlink and low-cost FlySafair airlines and Safair’s other businesses, including humanitarian aid flights, continuing to operate…
Miss South Africa Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters has been crowned Miss Universe 2017. Nel-Peters was honored on-stage along with first runner-up Miss Colombia Laura González and second runner-up Miss Jamaica Davina Bennett Sunday night in Las Vegas. Nel-Peters, 22, recently earned her degree in business management at North-West University. During a pre-taped interview, the Western Cape native…
The United States Tour Operator Association (USTOA) announces the 2018 Associate Member Advisory Committee to be chaired by USTOA Board Member, Scott Wiseman, President of Travel Impressions. The committee includes APTA members David DiGregorio and David Kartagener. The 2018 Committee will consist of the following individuals: Airlines Nick Panza, Air Tahiti Nui Steve…
Robert Mugabe resigned as Zimbabwe’s President after 37 years of autocratic rule on Tuesday, finally succumbing to the pressure of a military takeover and the humiliation of impeachment. The announcement came minutes into a joint session of the Zimbabwean Parliament in Harare, convened to prise the 93-year-old from power. As the Speaker read out a…
Olkiombo Airstrip, in the centre of the Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, will close for part of the day for the next two weeks for repairs and maintenance work. The closures will be from 05h30 to 10h00 and from 16h00 to 19h30 daily, from Wednesday, November 22 until the first week of December, Air Kenya…
The Limpopo Tourism Agency (LTA) has appointed Nomasonto Ndlovu as CEO. LTA has been operating without a CEO since the departure of Ndumiso Matlala in April. Ndlovu’s role and functions will be central in assisting the Board to fulfil its mandate of marketing the province as a destination of choice. Ndlovu has gained experience from…
Zimbabwe’s army seized control of the country on Tuesday night, claiming it was removing “criminals” around Robert Mugabe. An army spokesman said on Wednesday that the army is holding Mugabe for his own safety. There is no official word from the Mugabe family as to their whereabouts.
On Harare’s streets, many expressed amazement and delight Wednesday that President Robert Mugabe’s long reign may be coming to a close, but people also admitted the future looked unstable. Mugabe, 93, has ruled Zimbabwe since 1980 — longer than many can remember — and the sudden move against him by the military left some hoping…
The Trump administration plans to allow hunters to import trophies of elephants they killed in Zimbabwe and Zambia back to the United States, reversing a ban put in place by the Obama administration in 2014, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service official confirmed to ABC News today. Even though elephants are listed as endangered under…
Stellenbosch was highlighted as an international tourism destination at the recent Annual General Meeting held by Stellenbosch Publicity and Marketing (SPM), the entity responsible for administering the Stellenbosch Tourism levy. SPM reported that, during the past fiscal year, more than R700 000 (€42 700) was made available for the tourism activities of Stellenbosch 360, as…
Africa’s largest airline group, Ethiopian Airlines, is pleased to announce that it has finalized preparations to start five weekly flights to Buenos Aires, Argentina, as of March 8, 2018.Buenos Aires is the world’s capital of Tango, home of centurion old buildings and a vibrant cultural scene. Argentina is one of the largest economies in Latin…
Uganda Lodges Ltd is currently constructing their newest lodge in Uganda, Elephant Plains, within Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park. The lodge is set beside the existing Simba Safari Camp and nestled atop a hill overlooking Lake Kikorongo. The site will feature panoramic views across the park’s extensive savannah plains teeming with wildlife as well as…
It’s one of those nights where the travel and tourism role players in South Africa come together to celebrate the best of the best in the industry. The black tie gala dinner for the national Lilizela Tourism Awards 2017 was held at the Sandton Convention Centre last night. KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga were among the provinces…
Intense, alien, and relatively unscarred by tourism – Djibouti’s a worthy addition to your travel plans, says Georgina Wilson-Powell I say Djibouti. You say – bless you? A tiny east African nation, Djibouti is one of Lonely Planet’s top places to visit in 2018. Never heard of it? Don’t worry, they’re used to it here.…
Airlink has added a second direct flight to its Cape Town – Nelspruit KMIA routing. The additional flights operate every day of the week except Saturday. Flight SA8665 and SA8668 are operated on a 36-seater Embraer RJ135. SA8665 departs Cape Town at 15h00 and arrives at Nelspruit KMIA at 17h15. SA8668 departs KMIA at 17h35…