East Africa news – Implement the common EAC tourist Visa now, says Balala

BALALA BLASTS PARTNERS OVER FEAR AND SUSPICION The meeting of the East African Communitys sectoral council on tourism and wildlife in Mombasa ended with calls to fast track the long overdue introduction of a common tourist Visa for the entire EAC, to stimulate travel across national borders to neighbouring countries by tourists already in the […]

Uganda conservation news – Big Bird Watching Day goes underway

IT IS BIG BIRDWATCHING DAY IN UGANDA The tourism and conservation fraternity is today, in fact since midnight, listening for bird voices and recording sightings for a 24 hour period, with birding enthusiasts given free entrance to the national parks and national forest reserves by UWA and the NFA. Uganda has nearly 10 percent of […]

Uganda news – Opposition takes Entebbe municipal seat in by election

OPPOSITION TAKES ENTEBBE SEAT IN BY ELECTION In what can only be described as a resounding victory has the opposition Democratic Party candidate taken the Entebbe municipality seat for parliament, after the High Court had declared the election results of the February general election as null and void due to the omission by the Electoral […]

Rwanda tourism news – ICTP and RDB Tourism & Conservation in partnership talks

RWANDA TOURISM EXPRESSES INTEREST IN JOINING ICTP The International Council of Tourism Partners has received an expression of interest by the Rwanda Development Boards Tourism and Conservation Division to join the ICTP alliance of global quality destinations, which provides members according to information published by them with Cooperative marketing / promotion / branding that helps […]

Kenya aviation news – Ultralight aircraft crashes at South Coast

ULTRALIGHT AIRCRAFT CRASHES KILLING PASSENGER News have emerged from the Kenyan coast that an ultralight aircraft, apparently used for a leisure flight at the South Coast of Mombasa, had crashed upon take off yesterday morning, injuring the pilot and killing the single passenger. It is understood from a source in Mombasa that the airstrip at […]

Tanzania hospitality news – Serena is coming to Dar es Salaam

SERENA COMES TO DAR ES SALAAM AT LAST East Africas premier hotel, resort and safari lodge company Serena Hotels, is finally closing a glaring gap in their portfolio with the reported taking over of what used to be, amongst other brand names before, the Moevenpick Dar es Salaam, aka Royal Palm and previously the Sheraton […]

Uganda aviation breaking news – Bujumbura next for Air Uganda?

BUJUMBURA HERE WE COME?!? Usually well informed sources within Ugandas aviation fraternity have given the clearest indication yet that Air Uganda will widen their reach, true to their slogan We are the Wings that connect East Africa and offer flights, initially three times a week, between Entebbe and Bujumbura. From apparently the end of October […]

Uganda aviation breaking news – Air Uganda undergoes IOSA audit

AIR UGANDA UNDERGOES IOSA AUDIT Information was received this morning that Ugandas quasi national airline Air Uganda is presently hosting an international audit team, which is in country to assess the state of preparations of U7 towards final certification under IATAs operational safety audits. IOSA is arguably the gold standard for airlines as far as […]

Tanzania aviation news – TCAA admits to challenges

TCAA ADMITS WIDE RANGING CHALLENGES The Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority has earlier in the week acknowledged that operational constraints across the countrys airports, aerodromes and airfields are a major challenge to their mandate and objective to increase travel by air across the country. In particular the availability of aviation fuels on such often remote locations, […]

Uganda news – 15th International UMA Trade Exhibition to open on October 04th

15TH INTERNATIONAL TRADE SHOW UPCOMING The Uganda Manufacturers Association is next week opening its doors to the 15th edition of its international trade show with over 850 exhibitors from Uganda, the East African Community and firms beyond the region and from other continents participating in the event. Companies from China, Japan, Indonesia, Pakistan, India and […]

Uganda news – Moroto bridge repair work ‘ready soon’

MOROTO BRIDGE TO REOPEN SOON Torrential rains in Eastern Uganda in recent weeks have caused havoc conditions for road transport and when a key bridge between Moroto and Nakapiripirit was washed away, 6 districts were cut off from the rest of the country, including access to Kidepo Valley National Park. Information was now given by […]

Uganda aviation news – Emirates announces new destinations for Ugandan travelers

EMIRATES TO CONNECT UGANDANS TO MORE DESTINATIONS A regular source at the Emirates office in Kampala has confirmed that the airline will continue to introduce more destinations for travelers on their daily service from Entebbe. Dallas and Seattle will join the existing US cities of New York, Houston, Los Angeles and San Francisco in 2012 […]

Rwanda news – OECD gives Rwanda an ‘A’ rating

RWANDA GETS AN A FOR USE OF FOREIGN AID FUNDS Another feather in the hat it was when results of a survey conducted by the OECD, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development were published on the global use of aid funds in 78 countries earlier in the week. Some years ago Rwanda had requested […]

Seychelles news update – Campaign ends, elections now just two days away

ELECTIONS ARE IMMINENT, CAMPAIGNS END The long awaited general election is now imminent in the Seychelles, due to commence on the 29th September and ending on the 01st October. The campaign, almost invisible for tourists staying on the islands except for the party posters, has now drawn to an end as there is a mandatory […]

Seychelles tourism news – ‘Sustainable Tourism Label’ launched on World Tourism Day

SEYCHELLES SUSTAINABLE TOURISM LABEL LAUNCHED ON WORLD TOURISM DAY The Le Meridien Fishermans Cove Resort in Bel Ombre was the venue today for the launch by the Seychelles Tourism Board of the Sustainable Tourism Label, organized in conjunction with the Global Environment Facility, in short GEF and the Government of Seychelles UNDP Programme Coordination Unit. […]

Seychelles tourism news – President Michel’s message on World Tourism Day

PRESIDENT MICHELS MESSAGE ON WORLD TOURISM DAY Seychelles President James Michel, who is also holding the portfolio as Minister of Tourism, underscoring the ranking of the sector within government, has on the occasion of the globally celebrated World Tourism Day sent this message to the tourism fraternity and Seychellois at large: This years world tourism […]

Seychelles aviation news – New Civil Aviation board members appointed.

NEW SCAA BOARD MEMBERS APPOINTED Following the retirement two weeks ago of two key members of the Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority, after their appointment by President Michel to the board of Air Seychelles, did new faces join the remaining SCAA board members, when the Minister for Home Affairs, Environment, Transport and Energy the Hon. Joel […]

Kenya aviation news update – ‘Turf war with Eritrean, what turf war?’

AVIATION SOURCE DISMISSES MEDIA CLAIMS OF TURF WAR A regular source from Nairobis aviation industry, close to Kenya Airways, has dismissed a media report in leading business daily of an imminent turf war between Eritrean Airlines and Kenya Airways as patently false pointing to the existing bilateral air services agreement between the two countries which […]

Rwanda tourism news – Tourism quiz winners tour Nyungwe Forest on World Tourism Day

WORLD TOURISM DAY QUIZZ WINNERS TOUR NYUNGWE FOREST The Rwanda Development Board is hosting 24 winners of a radio quiz on Radio Rwanda and Contact FM, undertaken ahead of the World Tourism Day celebrations, to a guided all inclusive field trip to Nyungwe National Park, where they will have an opportunity to appreciate the conservation […]

Tanzania news update – No new ferry for Zanzibar to Pemba route anytime soon

NO NEW FERRY FOR ZANZIBAR PEMBA ROUTE ANYTIME SOON Information has come to light that the Zanzibar government is reluctant to purchase a new, state of the art ferry to allow islanders travelling between Unguja and Pemba islands a safe means to reach their destinations. The MV Spice Islander sunk a few weeks ago as […]

South Sudan news – Khartoum’s dirty tricks campaign exposed

KHARTOUMS DIRTY TRICK CAMPAIGN EXPOSED The rise of commodity prices in South Sudan, while partly influenced by the economic situation around the world and more immediately in the wider region, has to an extent been worsened by reported economic strangulation by the regime in Khartoum, the Souths former slave masters. They have been making the […]