The City Lodge Hotel Group (CLHG) has entered into a sale agreement for the City Lodge Hotel Sandton, Katherine Street property in Sandton, Johannesburg. “The sale agreement includes a restriction on the use of the property for short-term accommodation purposes,” said Andrew Widegger, the group’s CEO. He did not elaborate on who the buyer was or…
Ultra Properties, which manages The River Club in Livingstone, Zambia, recently announced the closure of the property as a lodge, effective January 1, 2024. The River Club property was passed on to new owners on December 1 last year, and they have now decided to refocus the use of the property. “The Ultra Properties team is now…
Historic APTA Annual Forum in Cape Town Celebrates Success with 113 Delegates from Over a Dozen Countries The Association for the Promotion of Tourism to Africa (APTA) is thrilled to announce the resounding success of its Annual Forum, held on the African continent for the first time in the vibrant city of Cape Town beginning…
APTA is pleased to announce four upcoming webinars from APTA members. All webinars are open for registration right now. A2B Marketing, Explore our African Portfolio Wed, Oct 4, 2023 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM EDT Join us for the opportunity to learn about our luxury, five star portfolio. We will start off by taking you…
KWS and Narok County Council have jointly recommended revised entrance fees for the Masai Mara National Reserve, as well as all KWS-managed parks, reserves, sanctuaries, and marine reserves. This adjustment aims to enhance the effective preservation of these natural areas for the enjoyment of future generations. Masai Mara – move from 24 hour to 12…
Recently resuming its flights to Seychelles was Condor, introducing the new Airbus A330 Neo-900 for the Seychelles route. On Saturday, September 30, the airline made its return from Frankfurt, carrying 305 passengers. This aircraft will operate one weekly direct flight, further enhancing the connection between Germany and Seychelles. From November 21, 2023, to March 12, 2024, an…
Johannesburg has recently been announced as the host city for the second World Tourism Association for Culture and Heritage (WTACH) Global Leaders Summit, which will be held in September next year. The announcement was made by the CEO of WTACH, Nigel Fell, during this year’s inaugural WTACH Global Leaders Summit, which took place in Valencia, Spain,…
Green Safaris, which operates eight camps in Zambia and one in Malawi, recently launched the world’s first electric dhow at the Tongabezi Lodge, just upstream of Victoria Falls. Offered as a ‘silent safari’, the eDhow allows guests to cruise the Zambezi River without an engine’s loud and intrusive sound. In addition to cutting noise pollution, the eDhow reduces carbon…
A new luxury lodge, Kuoom Serengeti, opened in Serengeti, Tanzania, this September. Joel Saura, Kuoom General Manager, revealed that the lodge would begin welcoming guests even while construction continued on another part of the property – expected to be completed within the next three months. Saura said the lodge introduced a completely new and distinctive concept…
South African Airways has announced the launch of flights to Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, its 12th destination since relaunching operations. Flights will operate three times a week, departing from Johannesburg on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 11h00 and arriving in Abidjan at 17h00 on the same day, with a 55-minute stopover in Accra. Bookings will open for…
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) has registered Ethiopia’s Gedeo Cultural Landscape as an official World Heritage Site. The registration was announced on Sunday (September 17) at the 45th extended session of the World Heritage Committee currently under way in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in the presence of Ethiopian Minister of Tourism Nasise Chale.…
The Unesco World Heritage Committee – which is meeting in Riyadh until September 25 – has decided to remove the site of the Tombs of the Buganda Kings in Kasubi, Uganda, from the List of World Heritage in Danger. This follows the successful restoration work carried out by Uganda with Unesco’s support. In 2010, a…
What’s In A Name… David Livingstone was the first European to map Lake Malawi. He named it Lake Nyasa, probably unintentionally as Nyasa actually means ‘lake’ in the local Yao language, so he’d effectively christened it ‘Lake Lake’. Livingstone also referred to the lake as the Lake of Stars, inspired by the fishermen’s lanterns bobbing…
Growthpoint Properties is moving ahead with its final improvement to the Longkloof precinct in Cape Town – the development of the Canopy by Hilton Cape Town Longkloof Hotel. The project was originally planned for completion towards the end of 2021 but was put on hold as South Africa navigated a period of economic uncertainty. Hilton has…
Nyungwe National Park, in Rwanda’s Southern and Western Provinces, was officially designated as a natural World Heritage Site by Unesco’s World Heritage Committee on Tuesday (September 19). It is the first site in Rwanda to be featured on the Unesco World Heritage list. “The inscription of Nyungwe National Park serves as a vital step in…
The latest edition of Africa Showcase, the largest Africa-focused travel trade show in North America, has just concluded with events taking place in Seattle, Denver, Ft Lauderdale and Boston over the past two weeks. 44 travel suppliers from all across the African continent criss-crossed the United States to meet with hundreds of buyers eager to…
Luxury ecolodge brand and management company Envi Lodges has marked a major development milestone by signing a management agreement for its first property in Africa. The new sustainable beachfront lodge in Paje on the Tanzanian island of Zanzibar will encompass 25 low-impact villas, some with private pools, all located between palm vegetation and the shores…
Boeing’s Commercial Market Outlook (CMO) for the years 2023–2042 has unveiled a fascinating aviation landscape in Africa. The report forecasts an extraordinary surge in intra-African passenger traffic, with expectations of quadrupling over the next two decades. This substantial growth, among the highest globally, will necessitate the addition of a remarkable 1,025 new aircraft to Africa’s…
Growthpoint Properties is moving ahead with its final improvement to the Longkloof precinct in Cape Town – the development of the Canopy by Hilton Cape Town Longkloof Hotel. The project was originally planned for completion towards the end of 2021 but was put on hold as South Africa navigated a period of economic uncertainty. Hilton has…
Kumbali Country Lodge, located only 10 minutes away from the centre of Malawi’s capital city of Lilongwe on a picturesque working farm, have some exciting news to share in their latest newsletter which we’ve summarised below. Sunday Summer Soiree On August 27, 2023, Kumbali”s Sunday Summer Soiree was a huge success! Collaborating with the Sunday…
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) has registered Ethiopia’s Gedeo Cultural Landscape as an official World Heritage Site. The registration was announced on Sunday (September 17) at the 45th extended session of the World Heritage Committee currently under way in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in the presence of Ethiopian Minister of Tourism Nasise Chale.…
The Unesco World Heritage Committee – which is meeting in Riyadh until September 25 – has decided to remove the site of the Tombs of the Buganda Kings in Kasubi, Uganda, from the List of World Heritage in Danger. This follows the successful restoration work carried out by Uganda with Unesco’s support. In 2010, a…
Marking a significant achievement for cross-border conservation and community livelihoods, an additional 10 rhinos have been successfully transported from South Africa to Zinave National Park, Mozambique. The ambitious operation, the third following last year’s cross-border rhino translocations, is the result of a collaborative partnership between Mozambique’s National Administration for Conservation Areas (ANAC), Peace Parks Foundation,…
ENVI Lodges, the luxury ecolodge brand and management company, will make its Africa debut with the management of ENVI Paje, a beachfront ecolodge in Zanzibar, scheduled to open in December next year. The lodge will feature 25 low-impact villas, some with private pools, set among palm trees along the shores of a pristine beach. Its…
Luanda’s new international airport, Dr Antonió Agostinho Neto, completed the first phase of its certification process last week after the publication of aeronautical data and information in the world civil aviation circuit, according to the Angola Press Agency. The move follows a landing and take-off process for aircraft, Flight Check, carried out since August, with King…
Brussels Airlines has announced plans to resume flights to Nairobi in June 2024 and increase Kigali frequencies. The airline last serviced the Nairobi route in 2015. It also plans to increase the frequency of flights to Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, to daily. The Belgian airline continues to invest in its intercontinental network and fleet,…
Mozambique’s state-owned national airline Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique (LAM), appears to have emerged from its financial crisis and achieved solvency. It’s now on the road to stability according to Sérgio Matos, LAM’s restructuring project manager. South African aviation consultancy, Fly Modern Ark (FMA), was appointed by the Mozambique government to rescue and rejuvenate the airline. So…
Pullman Cape Town City Centre opened in September, Accor’s first property under the exclusive Pullman Hotels & Resorts brand in South Africa. Kasada, the leading independent real estate private equity platform dedicated to the hospitality industry in Africa, acquired the former Radisson Blu Hotel & Residence, which has now been rebranded to Pullman Cape Town City Centre.…
Construction of Madagascar’s longest bridge kicked off at the end of last month, providing a new link between some of the country’s emerging tourism regions in the south-west. Once completed, the 800-metre long Mangoky Bridge will connect the Atsimo-Adrefana region (home to the Zombitse-Vohibasia and Tsimanampetsotse National Parks and vast stretches of tropical coastline), to…
Central African Wilderness Safaris, owners of the iconic Mvuu Lodge & Camp in Liwonde National Park providing guests with some of the best safari experiences Malawi, are thrilled to announce an exciting partnership with Lessons in Conservation. Lessons in Conservation is an educational non-profit dedicated to raising awareness and promoting the preservation of biodiversity and natural ecosystems through engaging children of…
United Arab Emirates (UAE) airline, flydubai, is set to launch direct flights to Mombasa from January 17 next year. Flights will operate four times a week. Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO of flydubai, highlighted the carrier’s commitment to opening underserved markets, emphasising the potential of African markets for future growth. Mombasa, Kenya’s second-largest city, offers ancient architecture…
Airlink withdrew from the Johannesburg-Entebbe route, effective Monday, August 28. The airline’s CEO and Managing Director, Rodger Foster, attributed the move to the commercial non-viability of the route due to thin traffic volumes. Airlink withdrew from the Johannesburg-Entebbe route. Foster said: “Prior to COVID, Airlink operated the Johannesburg-Entebbe route exclusively six times week with sustainable viability.…
Every year, as the days grow shorter and the temperatures drop in Central Africa, carmine bee-eaters start their migration journey across the continent by the thousands, ending up in the wilderness of Zambia at the end of August. The water levels drop along the river banks in Zambia during the dry winter months, revealing the perfect nesting…
Hotel 4:30 is set to soon open its doors in the bustling central business district (CBD) of Gaborone, Botswana, offering an upscale stay experience and boosting the country’s drive to grow its MICE sector. Featuring a total of 100 rooms, Hotel 4:30 offers diverse accommodation options. It includes thirty-five (35) Standard Rooms, each equipped with…
The highly anticipated annual Africa Showcase roadshow is set to return this September, offering an exceptional opportunity for travel industry professionals to connect with an extensive array of leading African suppliers. With an impressive lineup of African experiences and properties, the event promises a dynamic blend of networking, destination insights, and valuable business interactions. Hosted…
Lufthansa has entered into codeshare agreements with South African Airways and Airlink, expanding passenger travel options between Southern Africa and Europe. Passengers can book a single ticket and have their luggage carried to their final destination, saving costs and hassle. The partnership with Airlink adds new destinations in Southern Africa to Lufthansa’s network, providing greater…
The BRICS Aviation Working Group conference, held on the sidelines of the BRIC Summit in Sandton, Johannesburg, this week, concluded with a firm commitment to encouraging co-operation, connectivity, and long-term expansion in the aviation industry. “This conference was a turning point in advancing the aviation industry’s function as a driver of economic growth and regional…
Zimbabwe’s premier international tourism showcase, Sanganai Hlanganani World Tourism Expo, will take place in Bulawayo from October 12-14. The annual event brings together key players and stakeholders in the global tourism industry, providing a platform for networking and collaboration, while showcasing Zimbabwe’s tourism potential. This year’s expo celebrates the resilience, dynamism, and untapped potential of…
East African accommodation provider, Sisini Africa, recently introduced Lamai Nature Camp, the first luxury safari camp in its collection. Located in the Lamai Triangle of northern Serengeti, Tanzania, the camp offers four intimate luxury tents overlooking the endless plains that are home to abundant wildlife. “Each season presents a unique chapter of life in the…
Desert & Delta Safaris has unveiled a new Makgadikgadi helicopter experience. The two-hour excursion can be booked from Leroo La Tau lodge or as an extension from the sleep-out option. The scenic flights include a visit to the Kubu Island and a chance to touch down and explore this mystical place made up of Gondwanaland…
Low-cost airline FlySafair has just announced the relaunch of a key local route to its growing list of local destinations. From September 8, the airline will once again connect the two largest cities in the Western Cape: Cape Town and George. This will be welcome news to both holiday-makers and businesspeople who regularly travel between…
Nigeria Air – which aims to be the West African country’s national carrier – will officially commence operations in October, under the management of Ethiopian Airlines. The airline will be owned 49% by Ethiopian Airlines, 46% by Nigerian private investors, and 5% by the Nigerian Government. Ethiopian Airlines CEO, Mesfin Tasew, confirmed the airline’s imminent launch…
The fourth edition of Zomba City Festival will be held across various venues in the former capital city of Malawi from 26 to 28 April 2024. The event, which is a celebration of culture, nature and heritage, will feature an array of activities including live music, fashion shows, comedy, art exhibitions, theatre performances, poetry recitals,…
Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (TATO) and Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) have forged a partnership to inculcate conservation values to the youth, as TATO seeks to payback to the community and nature, as part of its 40 years anniversary. Founded in 1983, TATO has witnessed tourism development and tourist streams in the country surged from…
Ethiopian Airlines Group and Addis-Africa International Convention and Exhibition Centre (AAICEC) have signed an equity investment agreement to establish an international convention centre in Addis Ababa to host multiple business events. The centre, built by and named AAICEC, is one of the airline’s major national projects to transform the country’s image after it recently held a grand opening of the…
Ethiopian Airlines, a Star Alliance member is excited to announce that it will begin flying from London-Gatwick on Tuesday 21st November 2023 expanding their UK service for travellers to Africa. Ethiopian Airlines, Africa’s leading airline, serves Malawi with daily flights to Lilongwe and Blantyre. The new service will operate a 3 x weekly operation every…
The Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) will implement a cashless service system at all its nature reserves and its Visitor Information Centre with effect from September 1. The cashless service promotes transactions that do not expose the tourists and the employees to danger. It responds to the control environment that ensures optimal revenue collection,…
In another boost for Cape Town’s sports tourism sector, the Mother City will host a weekend of National Football League (NFL) fan events in September to celebrate the kick-off of the 2023 season. The events form part of the NFL Africa programme – a long-term, multi-market commitment to growing the sport at every level across the…
Namibia recorded a 98.1% increase in inbound tourist arrivals last year, according to the 2022 Tourism Arrival Statistical Report released in August. Tourist arrivals grew from 232 756 in 2021 to 461 027 in 2022. This is, however, far from the 1 681 336 foreign visitors achieved in 2019 (pre-pandemic). “With the sector’s recovery gaining momentum, the…
APTA is pleased to announce two upcoming webinars: African Bush Camps Tuesday, August 29th at 2pm eastern time REGISTER HERE: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4116588460317649751 African Bush Camps (ABC) own & operate 17 safaris camps in Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Zambia. Their properties range from down-to-earth tented camps to ultra-luxury lodges, always with an emphasis on sustainability, authentic service and…