Uganda aviation news – Qatar Airways to Entebbe pits direct rivals against each other
NARROWBODY VERSUS WIDEBODY, DOHA VERSUS DUBAI VERSUS THE REST OF THEM With the start of flights by Qatar Airways, connecting Doha daily with Entebbe with an Airbus A320, the question is now arising which way the loyalty of regular travelers will go. Emirates, already offering daily flights between Dubai and Entebbe, serves the route with […]
Seychelles tourism news – GST increase to 15 percent ‘not good for the tourism industry’
TAX RISE SET TO ENDANGER TOURISM GROWTH The Seychelles tourism private sector has once again warned of the potential impact of the planned GST (Goods and Services) tax rise from 12 to 15 percent on tourism services. Introduced some years ago under an economic structural adjustment programme the GST is due to be replaced by […]
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 […]
South Sudan news – Land survey and mapping to go underway soon for new capital city
SURVEYS FOR NEW SOUTH SUDAN CAPITAL IN RAMCIEL TO START SOON Information was confirmed from Juba, South Sudans current capital city, that a proper land survey in and around Ramciel, Lakes State, would commence soon. Only recently has the South Sudan cabinet, or council of ministers as it is called, decided that the new capital […]
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 […]
Tanzania tourism news – Ngorongoro Serena ‘crowned’ Tanzania’s best lodge at World Travel Awards
NGORONGORO SERENA IS TANZANIAS BEST SAFARI LODGE The recently concluded World Travel Award ceremony in Sharm el Sheik has crowned Serena Hotels Ngorongoro Safari Lodge as Best in Tanzania, a well earned accolade and not the first but one of many Serena has captured over the years. Attention to detail from the very moment the […]
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 […]
Tanzania news update – Joint venture signing between Serengeti District Council and Grumeti Reserves ‘bounces’
SERENGETI COUNCIL DEFERS SIGNING OF GRUMETI DEAL It was learned from a source in Arusha that the Serengeti District Council has after all not signed a joint venture agreement with Grumeti Reserves of American businessman Paul Tudor Jones, causing consternation and frustration amongst the companys executives but at the same time raising hopes that now […]
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 […]
Aviation news – How the Dreamliner fiasco might hold back the future of new aircraft designs.
THE HIDDEN CONSEQUENCES OF THE DREAMLINER FIASCO The global aviation fraternity took a deep breath last week and then must have muttered a combined worldwide finally as Boeing prepared to hand over the first B787 Dreamliner going into commercial service to Japans ANA. Passengers of ANA will look forward to the improved inflight comfort like […]
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 […]
Weekly roundup of news from the Eastern African and Indian Ocean regions, Fourth edition September 2011
TOURISM, AVIATION AND CONSERVATION NEWS from the Eastern African and Indian Ocean region A weekly roundup of reports, travel stories and opinions by Prof. Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome Get daily breaking news updates instantly via Twitter by following @whthome or read the daily postings on my blog via: www.wolfganghthome.wordpress.com Many of these articles then also […]
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 […]
Seychelles hospitality news – Constance Lemuria bags three ‘World Travel Awards’
CONSTANCE LEMURIA / PRASLIN ISLAND BAGS THREE WORLD TRAVEL AWARDS In a remarkable show of sustained quality was the Constance Lemuria Resort on Praslin Island / Seychelles, once again voted the Best Indian Ocean Golf Resort for the fourth consecutive year. Not ending there however the Lemuria also won for the second year running the […]
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 […]
Rwanda news update – Senate elections take place today but it is ‘hakuna matata’ across the country
SENATE ELECTIONS IN RWANDA YET LIFE CONTINUES AS NORMAL Today will see the scheduled elections across Rwanda take place for the Senate, the upper chamber of the countrys parliamentary system of governance. The campaign for senatorial seats was generally calm and apart from meeting members of the electoral college and canvassing their votes hardly noticed […]