Ethiopian Airlines Group, Africa’s largest carrier, has started operating flights with fully vaccinated crew against COVID-19 to keep travelers safe in light of the pandemic. Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam said “We are pleased to operate flights with fully vaccinated crew – a significant step in protecting our employees’ and customers’ health safety. We…
Tanzania has reduced the price of the Tourism Business Licence (TALA) for tour operators, as announced by Finance and Planning Minister Mwigulu Nchemba. The fee for local travel agents and tour operators will be reduced from TZS4.6m (€1 680) per year to TZS1.1m (€420) per year. The licence fee has been disputed by many local tour…
Classic Africa Safaris Rwanda reports that effective June 15, 2021, all passengers arriving from or have traveled to India and Uganda in last 7 days are required to complete 7 days in mandatory quarantine upon arrival at the designated hotels (Ubumwe Grande Hotel, Landmark Suites, Corina K. Guest house and Colours Club SPA & Garden…
Classic Africa Safaris Uganda has just been advised that The Minister of Foreign Affairs’ announcement on Friday, Jun 11, 2021 was inaccurate. All fully vaccinated, card-carrying, asymptomatic Category 2 arrivals (UK and USA included) will not be tested on arrival into EBB. Friday’s announcement can be disregarded. Please bear in mind that this is a government run system/protocol and, of…
The pioneer Covid-19 specimen collection center at Serengeti National Park has started stimulating new bookings, key tourism players have reported. “For a month now, we have seen a surge of new bookings with our prospective tourists citing the pioneer Covid-19 specimen collection center at Serengeti as the factor that encourages them to book safari” says…
Mauritius will reopen to vaccinated tourists from mid-July, but South Africans, even if they have received their jabs, will still not be allowed to enter the island nation. As the global vaccination rollout continues to gather momentum, South African holidaymakers have hoped to see the easing of travel restrictions and a reopening of borders. But a recent…
Whether it’s exploring the coastal dunes or diving the offshore waters, Anantara Bazaruto Island Resort can tune you into the wild side of Mozambique’s paradise isle on the Indian Ocean. Located in an archipelago of the same name on the southern Mozambique coast, the resort is all about getting back to nature — within easy reach of…
Cheli + Peacock Safaris is proud to announce that two of their most popular safari destinations — Serengeti in Tanzania and neighboring Masa Mara in Kenya — finished No. 1 and No. 3 respectively in a TripAdvisor survey of the globe’s best national parks. Two other Tanzanian parks — Kilimanjaro at No. 12 and Tarangire at…
Africa has revived its cross-continental spirit of adventure, ready and waiting to welcome travellers to its rich and varied landscapes. Rising from the ashes of the global travel pause, Jenman African Safaris is excited to announce our new Guided Group Tours for 2022. In the prevailing perspective of adaptation and change, we have altered, improved…
World Oceans Day, commemorated on June 8, is used to raise awareness about the ocean, which covers over 70 percent of the planet, and its utmost importance to life on earth. It is our life source, supporting humanity’s sustenance and that of every other organism on earth. The ocean produces at least 50 percent of…
On June 7th the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) downgraded Malawi’s COVID-19 risk to level 1, which is the lowest possible level. This new positions Malawi to begin welcoming back American tourists and demonstrates the country’s success in combatting the COVID-19 virus.
Join Itravelafrica.com for a 7 night diverse and exotic itinerary through the Kingdom of Morocco! This tour includes the most sought after sites and experiences in Morocco including a luxury desert camp experience in the Sahara Desert. Morocco is deeply rooted in history and is an inspiring destination thanks to its diverse geography, intricate history,…
The inbound travel trade celebrated today (June 9) following news that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has moved South Africa from risk alert Level 4 to Level 3. This follows the landing of the first daily United Airlines flight from New York Newark to Johannesburg’s OR Tambo on Friday (June 4).…
Seychelles has partnered with the Global Impact Network to encourage visitors to the islands to offset their carbon footprints with sustainable actions like tree-planting and buying locally made goods. In a short ceremony on Friday to coincide with World Environment Day, celebrated on June 5, Seychelles’ Tourism Minister, Sylvestre Radegonde, launched the initiative through a…
The Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (TATO) is struggling to convince the government to ease new COVID-19 restrictions to save its ambitious deal with Israel travel agents to bring thousands of high-end inbound tourists. Tanzania has elevated and enhanced prevailing preventive measures especially those with regard to international travel. Israel travel agents expect to bring…
Book your clients on Air Senegal’s new service between New York (JFK) or Washington DC (IAD) and Dakar (DSS) and take advantage of a limited time promotional fare, including two free checked bags. Flights start September 02, 2021 with a twice weekly service. From Dakar convenient connections are available to Ziguinchor (ZIG) in Senegal, Ivory…
Airlink is adding another new route to its expanding intra-Africa network with the launch of its Johannesburg-Entebbe service. Four flights a week will operate on the route from July 19, offering connections with Airlink’s domestic and regional network, which reaches across many Southern African destinations. The schedule will be made available at a later stage.…
Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni on Sunday re-imposed a strict lockdown that included the closure of schools and the suspension of inter-district travel to help beat back a surge in COVID-19 cases in the East African country. The new measures, which will be effective from Monday morning, include the closure of all educational institutions, some bans…
REGISTER HERE FOR APTA’S VIRTUAL CHAPTER Introducing…The Association of the Promotion of Tourism to Africa’s (APTA) newest chapter, the Virtual Chapter! We’ve designed the Virtual Chapter to grow and share our community’s passion for the love of Africa in a format that works for all of our remote members. By joining the Virtual Chapter, you’ll have…
Cheryle Velsor, previously with South African Airways Vacations, joins Alluring Africa and brings with her more than 42 years of travel industry experience to become their Travel Trade Relations Manager, a dedicated resource to the travel advisor community. Starting out as a “front line” travel agent, Cheryle owned a successful travel agency, before moving on to the tour operator side…
A day after announcing that Seychelles would reopen to all South African travellers, the destination has overturned its own decision and is once again prohibiting travellers from South Africa from visiting the islands. “The advisory was updated yesterday on June 1 and visitors from South Africa are not allowed to enter the Seychelles,” confirmed Seychelles…
South African Tourism (SAT) and United Airlines held a joint webinar on Thursday to announce the inauguration of daily nonstop flights from Newark to Johannesburg beginning June 3, and to talk about South Africa’s positioning as a destination while the world recovers mobility, and travelers who have been pent up for a year are released. The…
Malawi Airlines has plans to resume full operations by mid-June and already has a schedule for June of six flights a week between both Lilongwe and Blantyre and Johannesburg’s OR Tambo. The airline’s two shareholders, the Malawian government, which holds a 51% shareholding and Ethiopian Airlines, which holds 49%, have agreed to recapitalise the central African carrier after…
The Kenya Association of Travel Agents (KATA), Rwanda Development Board (RDB), Rwanda Chamber of Tourism (RCT) and the East African Tourism Platform have signed a partnership that will see the development of business and leisure travel in the East African community. The framework of the agreement is expected to enhance co-operation between the parties and…
Namibia has introduced new travel restrictions, with effect from tomorrow (June 1), advises independent regional airline, Airlink. All travellers entering Namibia will need to produce a negative SARS COVID-19 PCR test result (valid for seven days from the date of collection). Antigen Rapid Diagnostic Test results will no longer be accepted for entry into Namibia…
A total of R537 million (€32.4m) has been earmarked for investment in tourism infrastructure projects by the Department of Tourism. This was highlighted by the Minister of Tourism, Mmamoloko Kubayi–Ngubane, during her Budget Vote address to the National Council of Provinces yesterday (June 1). “To effect the implementation of these projects, the Department entered into a partnership…
The World Bank says it has approved $150 million for a project to help increase access to high-quality broadband internet services in Tanzania. It’s one of a number of Tanzanian projects receiving World Bank financing that are aimed at improving not just connectivity but rural roads and the learning environment. The Digital Tanzania Project (DTP),…
Travellers from South Africa will be able to visit the Seychelles from Tuesday 1 June onwards, after being barred from accessing the island nation since the start of 2021. In a bid to reinvigorate the island’s embattled tourism industry, which is responsible for 65% of its GDP, the Seychelles announced the full reopening of its…
Portman Square Limited has signed an agreement with Marriott International to debut the Four Points by Sheraton brand in Uganda. The development is expected boost the continued gradual resurgence of the local hospitality industry and bookings currently at 28% from a near zero at the height of the lockdown last year. Scheduled to open in…
Uganda Airlines is set to make its maiden flight to South Africa’s capital Johannesburg. The flight will enhance connectivity to and from the airline’s current network which includes Nairobi , Dares salaam , Kinshasa Juba, Mogadishu Bujumbura , Zanzibar , Mombasa and Kilimanjaro. Ochieng also says as UTB, they are equally interested in ensuring proper…
South African Tourism and United Airlines will host a Zoom webinar today at 11am ET to discuss the return of United Airlines to South Africa and re-opening of the destination. There is no need to sign up for the webinar, you can join using the following link at 11am ET on Thursday 27 May. https://finnpartners.zoom.us/j/99147902720?pwd=YTlOUzAvSDl3QU9sNzAzRVdjQ1NPdz09…
Sun City Resort, just a two-hour drive from Pretoria, is now open daily for day visitors after months of gradually easing access. Guests can take a quad bike or mountain bike through the Letsatsing Game Park or get lost in the largest permanent maze in the Southern hemisphere, The Maze of the Lost City. The…
Kenya Airways and Airlink have signed an interline agreement that will extend the airlines’ reach in the Southern African and the East African regions respectively. The new agreement will offer customers travel to over 40 cities across Africa. Under this latest agreement, Kenya Airways customers flying to South Africa will be able to connect with…
Rawan Dakik became the first Tanzania woman to successfully reach the last peak of Mount Everest (8,850meters). Rawan was the only Tanzanian in the list of those who made to the World’s highest peak. Apart from Rawan the other 22 climbers who made it alongside Rawan were from USA, Sweden, Nepal, South Africa, Canada and…
Bird Island, Seychelles will be opening on 15th July 2021. Our opening comes with some exciting changes to our accommodation as we evolve with these unprecedented times. The island now features 6 two-bedroom villas and 1 three-bedroom villa, in line with our move to become a self-catering establishment. Each villa comprises of a newly built…
While most aviation companies have felt the heavy impact of the Covid-19 outbreak, some entrepreneurs in the space have taken the crisis as an opportunity to embark on new ventures. One of the most notable in recent months is Nigeria’s Green Africa Airways, a brainchild of a serial entrepreneur Babawande Afolabi, which has announced it…
A few of Emerging Destinations’ cool clients in Africa will be at the Re•think Travel Virtual Trade Show next month. Cheli & Peacock Safaris, SkySafari, EcoTraining, Adventure Consults and Anantara Southern Africa will be participating in the event that takes place from June 7th to 10th. You can schedule 1-50 meetings and completely customize…
SkySafari’s three newly launched, redesigned fly-in itineraries provide guests with a nonstop flying safari; visiting the best camps, offering the best wildlife viewing, and more time to experience more magic while on safari. Taking to the skies of Kenya and Tanzania from 10th May 2021. Taking to the skies of Kenya and Tanzania from 10th May…
The Nest Collection – a new hospitality management solution for owners and managers of boutique accommodation establishments – launched this month. Its aim is twofold: to bring together a bespoke collection of distinctive, individual, boutique properties to create a quality travel ecosystem, and to offer an array of solutions for those properties to help them…
United just added another popular African city to its long-haul route map! On Friday, the carrier began year-round service between Washington, D.C. (IAD) and Accra, Ghana (ACC). United 996 departs IAD at 6:15 p.m. on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, returning at 11:45 p.m. as United 997 the following day. It’s the first of two routes…
The Biden administration said on Thursday it was lifting Ebola-related travel restrictions for U.S. visitors who have recently been in Guinea, effective Friday. In March, the Department of Homeland Security ordered that travelers who had been in Guinea and Democratic Republic of the Congo within the past 21 days had to fly into one of…
South African Airways (SAA) aims to resume flights in July or August, but the restart date will depend on how the COVID-19 pandemic progresses and whether the airline can resolve a pilot dispute, its chief executive said on Friday. State-owned SAA, which was put into administration in December 2019, has not flown commercially since September,…
The UAE and The Seychelles have announced the establishment of a new travel corridor for vaccinated holidaymakers, said Emirates news agency Wam. From Thursday, people will not have to quarantine on arrival in either country as long as they have a recognised vaccination certificate approved by the health authorities in the two nations. All travellers must continue…
A new wellness resort, Kisawa Sanctuary, has launched on Benguerra Island, Mozambique. The 14 bungalows, which include grouped bungalows, accommodate two people each and have their own beachfront, private infinity pool and day area, with an outdoor kitchen, cabana and a dedicated service team. Grouped bungalows feature larger swimming pools, decks and day areas. The…
Sky Bird Travel & Tours’ tours division, Sky Vacations, has added three new North Africa tours to its exciting collection of tour packages. Sky Vacations’ expertly crafted itineraries are known for delivering the best and most diverse experiences a destination has to offer, and it’s no surprise that people are reaching for its packages to…
Zimbabwe President, Emmerson Mnangagwa says the city of Victoria Falls has now achieved herd immunity following the vaccination of over 77 percent of its residents in the ongoing countrywide mass COVID-19 vaccination programme. Statistics released by Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Health and Child Care show that more than 19 243 people, against a target of 25 000, had received…
A new airline, Skylink Airways, has been established with the aim of filling the vacuum left by South African Airways (SAA). AeroTime Hub reported that Skylink Airways was founded by South African entrepreneur Clarence Andrea Steyn. Steyn told Aero Telegraph he has received backing from Russian and South African investors and has started hiring former SAA…
Only about two dozen trees from the Karomia gigas tree exist in its wild Tanzanian habitat. Its new flower is a hopeful sign for its survival. As far as the plant scientists at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis know, the tiny purple-and-white flower that recently grew in their greenhouse has never before been…
South Africa has taken steps to end its multimillion-dollar lion-breeding industry, which supplies cubs for tourism, lions for trophy hunts, and bones for traditional medicine. In a statement on May 2, Barbara Creecy, the minster of South Africa’s Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, acknowledged the “view that the captive lion breeding industry did not contribute…
Botswana and Zambia have inaugurated a road and rail bridge linking the two countries, marking the completion of a multimillion-dollar project aimed at easing congestion at border crossings and boosting trade. Stretching for 923 metres (some 3,000 feet) over the Zambezi River, the curved Kazungula bridge provides a long-needed alternative route for hauliers. “This will…