The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has clarified the rollout of the new South African Traveller Online Declaration System. SARS announced in mid-October that a new ‘travel pass’ system would be introduced in the country but, at the time, gave little to no detail on the process or to who it applies. This led to…
IHG Hotels & Resorts has signed a management agreement with HOC Hospitality Investments for the new-build House of Chinhara – Vignette Collection hotel in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. Haitham Mattar, IHG India, Middle East & Africa MD, said the signing of this tenth Vignette hotel was a key milestone, as the brand was fast gaining a…
South Africa officially has a new airport for intercontinental flights with the arrival of German leisure carrier Eurowings Discover set to bring up to 30 000 passengers a year from Frankfurt to Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (MQP). After a stopover in Windhoek (WDH), the Lufthansa subsidiary’s Airbus A330 touched down to an enthusiastic reception at the small…
Zambia, South Africa and Accra, Ghana were all included in Lonely Planet’s list of best destinations for 2023 by Lonely Planet. You can read the full list of all 30 destinations around the globe here – https://www.lonelyplanet.com/best-in-travel
Marriott International is to open the new luxury Laïla Resort in Anse Royale on Mahé on February 1. The 84 rooms and suites will have balconies and private terraces. Accommodation will comprise eight interleading twin rooms, 67 deluxe king rooms, five junior terrace suites, two junior suites, a senior suite and one accessible room. All…
Mack Air has partnered with South West Aviation to offer new and extensive flight services across Zimbabwe and throughout the southern region. According to Mack Air MD, Michael Weyl, the company has set up hubs in Harare and Victoria Falls that will principally service all domestic destinations and safari camps in Zimbabwe. However, when regional flights…
Following the announcement of major expansion plans across the globe – including southern and east Africa – Hilton has revealed it will open a new hotel in Nairobi, Kenya, early next year. Located in the central business district of the capital, Kwetu Nairobi, Curio Collection by Hilton, will offer upscale city accommodation for business and…
Tintswalo – which has several luxury lodges in its stable – has crossed borders for the first time with the opening of Tintswalo at Siankaba in Zambia. Situated on two densely forested islands in the Zambezi River, the luxury tented camp is ideally placed 38km from Victoria Falls and 48km from Chobe National Park, providing convenient access to…
Domestic airline, Lift, today (November 10) opened sales for its newly launched Cape Town-Durban route. And with this announcement, is officially completing the popular Golden Triangle between Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. “We’re delighted to announce this latest route addition which connects Cape Town to Durban. Not only will this add much-needed capacity on to…
The twice weekly flights between Cape Town and Mauritius signify the value and strength of the connection between the two destinations and will contribute to the growth and recovery of the tourism sector. So said City of Cape Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth, James Vos, as he welcomed the Air Mauritius flight that will depart…
As the world is getting more careful with both human and wildlife health, the government of the Republic of Uganda has issued new measures at all points of entry and departure. Effective 14th November 2022, all travellers are required to fill out an online digital health declaration form. The same form must be filled within…
Evidently, Toto really did bless the rains down in Africa as we enter our Wet Season in Zimbabwe and Green Season in Botswana. Zimbabwe’s Wet Season is from October to February every year. This means that it gets quite hot during the day, with scattered rains and jaw-dropping thunderstorms. Wildlife may be a bit more…
By the festive season it will have restarted flights to one airport each in Namibia and Zimbabwe, and to two cities in Malawi, South African Airways (SAA) said on Thursday. It promised details – such as the frequency of flights – only in the coming weeks, and it is not year clear how it will…
Marriott has announced plans to expand its operations in Africa, with the opening of over 30 hotels and more than 5,000 rooms by the end of 2024. The group’s select-service brands Protea Hotels and Four Points by Sheraton make up more than 50 per cent of the company’s property additions in Africa. The former has…
ganda Tourism Board has unveiled Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo (POATE) 2023 at Sheraton Kampala during World Tourism Day celebration. The Expo, an annual event was officially launched by the State Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities Hon. Martin Mugarra Bahinduka in the presence of UTB Board Chairman Hon. Daudi Migereko, UTB Director Vivian Lyazzi…
Lilongwe Wildlife Trust (LWT), responsible for running Malawi’s only wildlife rehabilitation centre and a key campaigner in Malawi’s fight against wildlife crime, have reported news of cheetah cubs recently born spotted in Liwonde National Park. These cubs represent the third generation of cheetahs to be born in Liwonde since the reintroduction in 2017 by African Parks in partnership…
Work has started on construction of Msalato International Airport, 12 kilometres from Tanzania’s capital, Dodoma. The high-capacity airport infrastructure is planned to meet the expected growth in air transport from the city’s new status as the administrative capital of Tanzania. The airport is expected to handle at least 50 000 flights and a million passengers annually, most…
Access to the 15 provincial reserves managed by the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) has been temporarily closed due to wage protests by employees affiliated to the National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union (NEHAWU). In a press statement on Wednesday (November 9), the provincial tourism authority said it was engaging with NEHAWU leadership…
The Ethiopian government and rebel forces in the country’s northern Tigray region agreed on Wednesday to what they called “a permanent cessation of hostilities” in a brutal civil war that began two years ago. The announcement by mediators came after the latest round of peace talks convened in South Africa by the African Union. “The two parties…
South African Tourism (SAT) is pleased to announce the appointment of Kristy Angellotti as Head: Trade Relations North America beginning 1 November 2022. In her role, Angellotti will join the SAT North America team to expand existing relationships with North American travel trade partners, while working with new distribution channels in the USA and Canada…
Less than six months after it started flying on June 1, Zimbabwe’s newest budget airline, Kuva Air – operated by Executive Air – has suspended operations. The airline’s Chairman, James Saruchera, told Tourism Update that the airline, which aims to make travel more affordable, had suspended operations as a strategic pause while putting systems in place to make…
A total of 4.35 million two-way passengers have passed through Cape Town International Airport’s (CTIA) domestic terminal this year to date (January to September), representing a recovery of 71% for the year to date, when compared with the same period in 2019. In the month of September, approximately 486 000 two-way domestic and 152 000…
Qatar Airways has signed a codeshare agreement with JetBlue, which will connect travellers of the US-based airline to 11 new markets in Asia and Africa, including Addis Ababa, Harare and Windhoek. Qatar Airways said the expansion – which adds to 13 existing codeshare destinations already available to JetBlue customers through Qatar’s network – will allow…
Alice Jacob Manupa, a young female Tanzania tour operator, won the top 100 African Women in Travel and Tourism personality of the year 2022. Ms. Alice who is the CEO of African Queen Adventures became the first Tanzanian lady to win such a continental prestigious award, raising the East African natural resources rich country profile…
KwaZulu Natal is expected to welcome some 82 000 visitors to Durban this weekend (Saturday, October 29) for the coronation of the new King of the Zulu Nation, his Royal Majesty King MisuZulu ka Goodwill Zwelithini Zulu. According to an economic assessment conducted by the City of Durban, it is estimated that the visitors will spend…
The Ker & Downey Africa North America DMC team has merged with African-based local boutique DMC, Grand Africa Safaris. The company is now trading in its major source market (the US) as Grand Africa Safaris. A spokesperson for the company said the decision was made to avoid ongoing brand confusion with US-based tour operator Ker…
Kenya’s Tourism Research Institute projects that the country will reach 1.4 million arrivals and over KES265 billion (€2.2bn) in earnings by December, about 74% of 2019’s best ever tourism figures of more than two million visitors. TRI has posted multiple updates on Twitter, outlining Kenya’s annual tourism sector performance report. In one post it notes…
Kenya and Uganda are further bolstering their strong tourism ties with the establishment of the first ever Kenya Coast – Uganda Tourism Conference and Exhibition in November. Kenya is Uganda’s number-one source market for tourists while Mombasa is a key destination for Ugandans. Last year, Uganda saw 512 945 tourism arrivals, 326 387 of which…
In early 2023, the world’s largest hotel chain will open its first safari lodge under the luxury JW Marriott brand in Kenya’s renowned Masai Mara National Reserve. AFAR takes a closer look here.
As the peak holiday season approaches, SAA is bringing into service an additional three Airbus A320 aircraft, bringing the total number of A320s to five to support the demand. The first of these was delivered on September 25, and the remainder, every month from then. SAA currently operates seven Airbus aircraft – two A320s, three…
The National Museums of Kenya and the Mammal Committee of Nature Kenya have partnered with Spotteron Citizen Science to develop and launch a mobile app that assists in the tracking and logging of mammals in the country. The Mammal Atlas Kenya, or Makenya, app allows users to to record GPS co-ordinates of an area where they…
The sixth edition of the national and regional Swahili International Tourism Expo (SITE) concluded its business on Sunday evening. The 3-day tourism exhibition brought hopes for tourism recovery in Africa after the COVID-19 pandemic and ended after successful interactions among key players in tourism from Tanzania, Africa and others from tourist source markets of Europe, Southeast Asia,…
The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has announced the introduction of an online traveller declaration system to take effect, first at OR Tambo during November, and then to be rolled out to all international airports during the first quarter of 2023. SARS says it is to “simplify passenger movement at South African airports”. How it…
Botswana no longer has any COVID-19 restrictions on entry. Travellers no longer need to provide proof of vaccination or proof of a negative COVID test on entering the country. Masks are no longer mandatory in public spaces. The Botswana Ministry of Health advises residents to ensure they are fully vaccinated.
The 48-room Vivari Hotel & Spa by Mantis is now welcoming guests to its tranquil setting at Featherbrooke Estates, close to the Cradle of Humankind, north of Johannesburg. Vivari – a Sanskrit word that loosely translated means ‘uncovered’ – is the first hotel of its kind in Africa, encompassing the hotel and spa along with an aesthetic clinic and state-of-the-art hospital…
Seychelles reached a significant milestone with the arrival of over 258 000 tourists from January to date, surpassing the best-case scenario for visitor arrivals this year, a top official said this week. In January, during its strategic marketing meeting, the tourism department said the country was expecting 218 000 visitors as a worst-case scenario or 258…
RwandAir will launch direct flights between London Heathrow and Kigali from November 6. The airline has been operating flights to London via Brussels for the past five years, but from next month these will be replaced with a new non-stop service to cater for increased customer demand. The new direct flights, which are now on…
Dr. Allan Kijazi, a former Director General of the state-run conservation and tourism agency of Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA), along with the serving TANAPA Conservation Chief, Mr. William Mwakilema, and the Arusha Region Commissioner, Mr. John Mongella, have been recognized by the Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (TATO) for their outstanding work in conservation and…
The sixth edition of the premier Swahili International Tourism Expo (SITE) will kick off on Friday this week for a three-day exhibition of tourist products, travel services and policy making strategies targeting the development of tourism in Tanzania, East Africa and the rest of Africa. Set at the Mlimani City Grounds in Tanzania’s commercial capital from Friday,…
Botswana’s Okavango Delta and Victoria Falls, on the Zambia-Zimbabwe border are two of Southern Africa’s most visited tourist sites. Previously getting between the two had been an expensive hassle, involving detours via Johannesburg, pricey private charters or complicated border crossings on foot. However, thanks to Fastjet’s new flight route, travellers can now get to Victoria…
All US-bound airline passengers who have been in Uganda in the 21 days before their arrival will be routed to one of five US airports for enhanced Ebola screening, according to a health alert issued last week by the US Embassy in Uganda. This is in response to Uganda declaring an Ebola outbreak on September 20. Passengers…
Sun International is in talks with airlines to reinstate the direct flights between Cape Town and Pilanesberg International Airport following the demise of SA Express, which offered this service. So said COO Hospitality of Sun International (SI), Graham Wood. He said this would increase domestic and international traveller numbers to the region, which counts the Big-Five…
Industry has widely welcome the announcement by South American carrier, LATAM Airlines, that it will resume its commercial route between São Paulo (GRU), Brazil, and Johannesburg, South Africa. The airline said in a statement over the weekend that the route would resume in July 2023, with three weekly frequencies using the airline’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. This is after a three-year hiatus due…
The Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB) has launched its Namibia Digital Nomad Visa programme, which will be applicable for six months. The new visa, which will be available to freelancers or people working remotely for companies outside Namibia, makes it easier for foreign nationals to live and work in the country. It would…
Taking its name from the Zambezi River that flows through it, Zambia is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Its 73 ethnic groups highlight the country’s diverse cultures which are showcased through vibrant traditional festivals throughout the year. On a trip to Zambia, you’ll spend your days ticking off “the Big Five” on safari in one or…
FlySafair has just received approval from the International Air Licensing Council to operate flights to 11 new destinations within the Southern African region and slightly further afield. FlySafair applied for rights to operate connections to a number of new destinations throughout the region, as well as rights to add to its current twice-weekly frequency to Mauritius. The airline has approval to operate flights from Cape Town and Johannesburg to Gaborone, Livingstone, Luanda, Lusaka, Maputo and Victoria Falls. In addition, it has also…
Royal Livingstone Victoria Falls Zambia Hotel by Anantara is inviting adventurers to soar above Victoria Falls in a microlight aircraft. The hotel’s “African Adventure Experience” offers guests the chance to enjoy views of the world’s largest waterfall from a private craft as they glide over the Zambezi River. Guests can also enjoy a breakfast, lunch or…
As we step into a new era of travel, one which prioritizes planetary wellbeing, authenticity and transparency, Volcanoes Safaris, pioneers of gorilla and chimpanzee eco-tourism in Uganda and Rwanda since 1997, reflects on the last 25 years while looking ahead as they announce the launch of their 5th lodge to open in 2023 near Kibale National…
APTA has announced the return of their annual Forum in a big way. What was once the APTA National Forum, will become the “APTA Global Forum” and will take place for the first time in APTA’s history in Africa during September 2023. Each year since 1995, the APTA National Executive Board hosts the National Forum…
ZAMBIA has removed visa requirements for the European Union, China, and the United States of America among other global lucrative tourism markets in a bid to rejuvenate revenue generation in one the country’s economic pillars. The Southern Africa nation is currently working towards growing the tourism sector by doubling its earnings. In an update weekend,…