Seasoned global travel agents currently on a familiarization tour have said that Tanzania may well be Africa’s sleeping giant of tourism. They collectively say this is thanks to the country’s unrivaled natural beauty, wildlife abundance, pristine beaches, generous people, and a diverse feast of culture. “I’ve fallen in love with Tanzania because of its breathtaking…
Hospitality management company, Barrows Hotel Enterprises, has closed a US$110-million hotel deal for Zambia and announced plans for construction of a luxury hotel in Lusaka. Barrows – which provides hotel investment and advisory services for hotels in the Middle East and Africa – has advised Asian developer, Hing Construction, to proceed with the construction of…
KLM will add three weekly Cape Town flights to its schedule ahead of its 30th anniversary on the route. From November 1, it will offer 10 weekly services between Cape Town and Amsterdam. The additional flights will complement the current seven daily services, which leave Amsterdam at 10h30 and depart from Cape Town at midnight. At…
The Zanzibar Tourism Investment Association (ZATI), in collaboration with the organisers of tourism exhibitions from Arusha, KILIFAIR, has entered into an agreement to organise an international summit on tourism opportunities in Zanzibar next year, according to Tanzanian national newspaper, Daily News. The ‘Z – SUMMIT 2023’ is scheduled for February 23-24, with the aim of strengthening…
The riverside game reserve and wellness resort are within Zimbabwe’s Victoria Falls National Park, a UNESCO Protected Area. Six Senses enters into its first sub-Saharan African project, which will front Princess Elizabeth Island on the approach to the largest waterfall in the world. The partially concealed, tree-level lodges at Six Senses Victoria Falls will be…
Protecting the mountain gorillas in Rwanda is a major initiative, and now social media can play a part in the movement. Visit Rwanda and the Rwanda Development Board are teaming up to use Instagram to help play a role in protecting the country’s wildlife. Giving Wild Gorillas Internet Exposure With GorillaGram, visitors to Volcanoes National…
Themed, “Rethinking Tourism Africa” as part of World Tourism Day, the conference and exhibitions being held at Gran Melia Hotel in the heart of country’s northern safari capital of Arusha is being organized by Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (TATO) and Alliance française. Kicking off today on September 26 and running through to tomorrow the 27th, the…
Airlink, the independent South African-based airline, is acquiring a 40 percent strategic equity holding in privately-owned Windhoek-based FlyNamibia in an investment which will accelerate Namibia’s post-pandemic recovery and drive the expansion of efficient scheduled airline services to, from and within Namibia. Through this venture, Airlink and FlyNamibia will support Namibia’s National Transport Policy vision by…
East African Regional Tourism Expo kicked off in Burundi, signaling new development of joint tourism in East Africa as single tourist bloc. With a theme of “Rethinking Tourism for Social Economic Development in the East African Community,” the week long East African Regional Tourism Expo (EARTE) second edition has attracted over 250 exhibitors from over…
Rwanda’s Akagera National Park witnessed the birth of several White rhino calves after the largest single rhino translocation ever from South Africa in November last year. The 30 rhinos were introduced to the park, sourced from &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve, and since then they have settled in well. First ever cycling safari in the Okavango Delta… The…
The first phase of a major refurbishment programme at The Victoria Falls Hotel has been completed. The programme was launched in 2021 and the first phase has involved extensive work in the bedrooms and suites of two of the hotel’s wings, the south ‘hammerhead’ and the central block. The refurbishment focused on the hotel’s unique historic…
Airlift into Cape Town will increase when Air France returns to the Mother City with its seasonal flights on October 27 after being absent for almost a year. The airline had to cancel its seasonal services to the city last November when, after just a month, Omicron hit the world. The Paris to Cape Town…
Loapi Camp, a new camp in Tswalu Kalahari, is currently under construction and is set to open in 2023. The camp’s six individual tented safari homes, each functioning as a stand-alone, independently run minicamp. There will be four one-bedroom homes and two two-bedroom homes, spanning over 300sqm and over 400sqm respectively. With at least 100m…
Ultra, South Africa’s biggest electronic music festival, is set to return in March next year following a three-year hiatus. The festival will be held in Cape Town at the Kenilworth Racecourse on March 10, and in Johannesburg at the Nasrec Expo Centre on March 11. The 2020 edition hosted international acts Afrojack, DJ Snake and Steve Aoki, as well…
Some 20 years have passed since Brussels had regular passenger flights to South Africa. Perhaps it indicates the nature of the market, the myriad one-stop options, and the lack of priority among the few airlines able to serve it. That has changed, with Air Belgium now linking Brussels to Johannesburg and Cape Town. Air Belgium to South…
Tourism is one of Uganda’s top foreign exchange earners bringing in more than $1.5 billion annually. Over 1.5 million foreigners flock into the pearl of Africa to catch a glimpse of wildlife and other tourist attractions like the mountains and rivers. However, little has been done to harness earnings from festivities especially those in the…
The Government of South Sudan and African Parks have signed a ten-year renewable Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Boma and Badingilo National Parks, including the wildlife corridors and proposed extension zones – an area that is well over three million hectares. The signing of the MoU is expected to strengthen the long-term protection of ecosystems…
Recognising the need to reach tourists from across the globe on various platforms, South African Tourism will host an ambitious familiarisation trip (MegaFam) trip involving 840 carefully selected people from varied backgrounds across all continents, time zones, linguistic and cultural regions, professions and social standing. Acting CEO of SA Tourism, Themba Khumalo, said the country’s destination-marketing…
Wesgro, the Western Cape trade, tourism and investment development agency, has calculated that 1.5m two-way seats will be available in Cape Town from various airlines between November 2022 and March 2023. This will take the total number of available seats to 93% of 2019 levels. The injection of seats is a major relief to trade…
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) downgraded Namibia from Level 2: Moderate Risk to Level 1: Low Risk on September 19. To be listed Level 1: Low Risk, a destination must have had 49 or fewer new cases per 100 000 residents over the past 28 days. The CDC also downgraded three other…
Exhibitor registrations opened today (Monday, September 19) for Meetings Africa 2023 – held from February 27 to March 1 – on the official website for the business events trade show held annually in Johannesburg in the first quarter of the new year. This was announced last week by Acting CEO of South African Tourism, Themba Khumalo, at the…
Located inside Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, Avani Victoria Falls Resort offers free unlimited access to Africa’s legendary cascade. But there are plenty of other ways to while away your days at the resort. Melt your worries away with a choice of essential beauty and health treatments at the Avani spa, where carefully trained professionals will have you relaxed,…
Hailey Pope describes her experience — and improved technique — during a weeklong wilderness photography course with EcoTraining in South Africa’s Kruger region: Makuleke is a stunning area of northern Kruger with ample photographic opportunities, and when paired with an EcoTraining instructor that knows where to look and how to go about taking the photo,…
Come December, Cape Town will have a host of US flights. For the South African summer season, Western Cape agents will find themselves with many, many more choices to offer US-bound Cape Town clients (and those in Jo’burg). Delta Air Lines begins its new seasonal ‘triangular’ route, Atlanta-Johannesburg-Cape Town-Atlanta. On December 2, Delta will begin…
Rwanda’s population of endangered Mountain gorillas – a major contributor to the country’s tourism industry – has grown by 26% over the past six years, and another 20 baby gorillas, along with a new gorilla family, were recently christened at the country’s 18th annual Kwita Izina Gorilla Naming Ceremony. The globally recognised conservation event was attended…
A World Bank grant of US$400 million to revitalise sections of the longest road corridor in the country, the N1 North-South highway, is expected to be of major benefit to tourism in the region. The World Bank approved the grant to support Mozambique’s Safer Roads for Economic Integration project, which seeks to improve road connectivity,…
About Us Climbing Kilimanjaro is an adventure travel company based in Tanzania. For over 20 years we’ve been offering enriching travel experiences internationally and domestically. Our team is passionate and committed to our guests, our company, and the communities in which we operate. We also love a good time! We appreciate nature, adventure, and each…
The signing ceremony of the codeshare agreement took place at Turkish Airlines’ Headquarters in Istanbul. Turkish Airlines CEO, Mr. Bilal Ekşi and Air Seychelles Acting CEO, Mr. Sandy Benoiton signed the agreement with the attendance of senior officials from both sides. Commenting on the agreement, Turkish Airlines CEO Mr. Bilal Ekşi stated; “We are pleased to sign this codeshare agreement with Air…
Amapiano fans have been travelling from far and wide to visit the home of the rapidly growing genre, South Africa’s tourism board has found. According to South African Tourism ACEO Themba Khumalo, the genre has bolstered travel within the country with an influx of African American tourists heading over from the States. “One of the reasons people travel to a destination…
African Travel, Inc. has appointed Norma Spadola as its new northeast regional sales manager. She will be responsible for strengthening relationships with travel advisors and implementing strategic sales plans with partners. “We are so pleased to have Norma Spadola as our new regional sales manager given her strong travel advisor relationsips and extensive career experience…
Minister of Tourism, Lindiwe Sisulu, told the media that “the South African tourism sector is poised for a tremendous bounce back and positive growth after from the the first half of the year (2022) show a staggering 147% in arrivals reaching an impressive 2,285,746.” Sisulu was speaking in Johannesburg during a media briefing where she presented the…
The airline reported a 79% revenue growth for its fiscal year ended July 30, even as profit grew by 90%. This information is according to a tweet by Mamo Mihretu, the CEO of Ethiopian Investment Holdings. According to Mr Mihretu, the state-owned airline “posted $5 billion in revenue this financial year, a 79% growth compared to…
South African Airways (SA, Johannesburg O.R. Tambo) has confirmed it is in preliminary discussions about taking over the South African franchise of British Airways (BA, London Heathrow) but has declined further comment due to the delicate nature of the talks. “The nature of such discussions contains commercially sensitive information. As soon as both parties are ready to share, we will…
Authorities in Kenya have amended some COVID-19 international travel measures as of Sept. 7. Among the adjusted regulations, all arriving travelers above the age of 12 years will be required to show proof of either COVID-19 vaccination or a negative PCR test conducted no more than 72 hours before departure. Those with COVID-19 certificates must…
Ethiopian Airlines is to add three flights a week on the Addis Ababa-Johannesburg route from November 1. The additional flights will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, complementing the current double-daily schedule. Plans are to make this third flight daily as well, should the uptake warrant it. Flight ET849 will depart Addis Ababa at 15h30…
The Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA), in partnership with Jakada Holdings, will host the second annual Mpumalanga Tourism Expo at the Riverside Mall on September 24-25. The Expo is geared to provide a platform to showcase tourism products and services to the domestic and international markets. Xolani Mthethwa, Founder and CEO of Jakada Holdings,…
One of South Africa’s most iconic hiking trails, the Tsitsikamma trail (sponsored by forestry company MTO) in the Garden Route, has undergone a major upgrade to provide an even better experience for local and international visitors. Timber overnight huts, including two-man A-frame units and larger six-person huts, have been built, and existing huts have been…
Airlink launched the first-ever scheduled direct air service between Cape Town and Maputo. The first flight departed from Cape Town on time at 17h10 and arrived in Maputo at 19h40. The first return flight departed Maputo at 06h10 this morning and landed in Cape Town at 09h00. Airlink is operating its 37-seat Embraer 135 twin-engine jetliner to…
he US is solidifying its position as South Africa’s top international source market, recording 28 207 arrivals in June – more than double that of the UK in second place (12 301 arrivals). According to the latest Tourism and Migration Statistics from Stats SA, a total of just over 1.7 million travellers (arrivals, departures and transits), passed…
Transnet has completed its investigation into incidents which led to the suspension of the Blue Train service, paving the way for it to resume “imminently”, the parastatal announced on Monday. Transnet spokesperson Ayanda Shezi said management had decided to temporarily suspend the Blue Train’s operations as a “precautionary measure” in February following three serious incidents…
The Namibian Ministry of Health and Social Services has announced that, with immediate effect, foreign travellers will no longer have to produce a vaccination certificate or negative PCR test result at the country’s ports of entry. According to the Ministry, the epidemiological situation in Namibia no longer supports the requirement, reports The Namibian.
As I walked along the gravel-covered path to my suite at the new safari lodge Lolebezi, which opened in June 2022 in Zambia’s Lower Zambezi National Park, my experienced guide scanned the surrounding bushes and winter thorn trees for any signs of wildlife. We almost made it to my room incident-free — until we saw a…
The Uganda Tourism Association (UTA) has called for the establishment of a committee to lead the return of Ugandan artefacts from foreign museums. Herbert Byaruhanga, the President of UTA made the call on Tuesday, 30 August 2022, as he and association members appeared before the Committee on Tourism, Trade and Industries chaired by Hon. Mwine…
Low-cost carrier FlySafair has added new features to its WhatsApp business account, allowing passengers to search for their booking and check in for their flight directly with the app. Kirby Gordon, Chief Marketing Officer at FlySafair, says the new WhatsApp features are just some of the many ways it is creating a frictionless travel experience from booking…
Nile Air is now offering flights between Cairo (CAI) and Al Ain International Airport (AAN), United Arab Emirates with convenient bus connections to Dubai. Bus service is provided by Nile Air from Al Ain International Airport to Dubai Bus Station (XHB). Itineraries can be booked in your GDS including the bus segment (CAI-DXB). Service operates…
Wild Shots Outreach at Babanango Game Reserve in South Africa engages young people from nearby disadvantaged communities in wildlife conservation through the camera lens. The program teaches new skills and helps inspire the conservationists of tomorrow through photography and wildlife education. As well as nurturing an appreciation of wildlife and developing life skills in course participants, Wild Shots…
Emerging Destinations is pleased to welcome Crowne Plaza Nairobi Airport to our portfolio of cool companies in Africa and other places around the globe. Just three minutes from the terminal — and the only five-star accommodation at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) — the Crowne Plaza is the ideal place to stay, relax or work…
Zambia President Hakainde Hichilema arrived in Tanzania on Tuesday for a 2-day state visit that will see him holding bilateral talks with Tanzania President Samia Suluhu Hassan and later witness the signing of transport, logistics, and tourism agreements between Tanzania and Zambia. While in Tanzania, President Hichilema and the Tanzanian President are expected to discuss…
The Gauteng Tourism Authority has signed a ‘game-changing’ Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ghana Tourism Authority, as one of the outcomes of the inaugural Ghana Week in South Africa, which was aimed at strengthening tourism, trade and investment relations between the two countries. The agreement, signed by Gauteng Tourism CEO, Sthembiso Dlamini, and Ghana Tourism CEO, Akwasi…
Airlink and Federal Airlines have committed to a commercial partnership aimed at ensuring sustainable air access linking key Lowveld airports – such as Skukuza and Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport – with popular commercial game lodges in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve and northern KwaZulu Natal. Federal Airlines will expand its air shuttle transfer services to…