Reflections on my visit to Bahrain – the Arabian Culture Capital 2012.
BAHRAIN, ARABIAS CULTURE CAPITAL 2012 WHERE THE ANCIENT MEETS THE FUTURE (Bahrain’s capital city of Manama, where the ancient Fort Bahrain, one of the Kingdoms UNESCO World Heritage Sites, has been carefully excavated and lovingly restored, while today and tomorrow unfolds in the background, adding new chapters to the rich heritage and culture of the […]
Southern Sudan aviation news – Gulf Air to delay start of Juba flights
GULF AIR DELAYS START OF JUBA FLIGHTS Following the shock announcement, that the recently inaugurated route to Entebbe will be suspended on 21st February, came further information to light from Juba, when it was confirmed that Gulf Air will delay the commencement of flights between Bahrain and the Southern Sudanese capital city until further notice. […]
Kenya aviation news – JKIA construction delays prompt more concerns by aviation industry
KENYA AIRPORT AUTHORITY REACTS TO STINGING CRITICISM Clearly stung by criticism over complaints about the visible delay on construction of the new terminal and other facilities, much needed to de-congest East Africa busiest hub Jomo Kenyatta International Airport has the authoritys CEO reacted earlier in the week. We have set aside some 10 percent of […]
Congo DR government again lambasted over widespread poaching
REPORT ON ELEPHANT POACHING PAINTS GRIM PICTURE FOR CONGO CONSERVATION Information came to light this week that over 500 elephant had been killed for ivory in the Virunga National Park in Eastern Congo over the past two years alone. The park is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. Officials of the Congolese Institute for the […]
Seychelles tourism news – NEC approves more funding for tourism promotion
SEYCHELLES NATIONAL ECONOMICS COUNCIL APPROVES GREATER TOURISM FUNDING It was learned overnight that the presentations made by the Seychelles Hospitality and Tourism Association SHTA to the government of Seychelles, on a range of issues from concerns over recent developments at Air Seychelles and over funding of tourism marketing, were part of the discussions of the […]
Kenya aviation breaking news – IATA renews IOSA and ISAGO certification for KQ
KENYA AIRWAYS RETAINS IOSA AND ISAGO CERTIFICATION Following an extensive safety and ground operations audit has IATA earlier in the week once again officially re-certified Kenya Airways and issued another IOSA and ISAGO certificate to The Pride of Africa. IATAs regional director for Africa Gaoussou Konate was in Nairobi to personally hand over the certificates […]
Breaking Aviation News – Gulf Air suspends Entebbe flights
GULF AIRS RESTRUCTURING AND COSTCUTTING SEES ENTEBBE AXED When Gulf Air returned to Uganda on the 05th of December with 4 flights a week, much hope and expectation was raised in Ugandan aviation circles that new options had opened up, for visitors coming to Uganda from across the Gulf Air network and travelers from Uganda […]
Queen Elizabeth National Park fire destroys safari lodge
NATIONAL PARK FIRE DESTROYS SAFARI LODGE A raging bush fire, allegedly set by staff of the Uganda Wildlife Authority, has devastated the Kyambura Game Lodge earlier in the week, according to reports from a source close to UWA. The fire was reportedly started by UWA staff to clear dry vegetation and allow for fresh green […]
Maldives woes set to benefit Vanilla Island’s tourism sectors
MALDIVES POLITICAL MESS TO BENEFIT VANILLA ISLANDS Recent events on the Maldives have triggered a trend by key global tour operating companies to seek alternatives, should the islands descend into full scale political unrest. First in the bad news came the Maldives opposition demands to shut down with immediate effect all Spas in each and […]
Rwanda tourism news – Jack Hanna Cottage at Gorilla Nest Lodge gets 5 star makeover
JACK HANNA COTTAGE GETS 5 STAR MAKEOVER The Gorilla Nest Lodge outside Musanze / Ruhengeri, which sustained fire damage sometime last year as reported here, has finalized the makeover of the famous Jack Hanna Cottage, where guests are now accommodated alongside the neighbouring Ranch Rooms, allowing as many as 8 guests to enjoy the unique […]
KWS relocates 21 Eastern Black Rhinos to Ruma National Park
KENYA WILDLIFE SERVICE TRANSLOCATES 20 RHINOS TO RUMA NATIONAL PARK (Picture courtesy of Kenya Wildlife Service) Good news emerged from Kenya that KWS has last week successfully completed the relocation of 21 Eastern Black Rhinos to the Ruma National Park, formerly known as Lambwe Valley National Park when this correspondent still lived in Kenya and […]
Rwanda tourism news – L’ Esperance’s eco tourism lodge project to support the orphanage
L ESPERANCES BIRAMBYE LODGE PROJECT TAKES SHAPE (Victor Monroy surrounded by ‘his’ children at L Esperance) One of the most remarkable orphanages I have ever seen, L Esperance at Kigarama in the highlands of South Eastern Rwanda along the Congo Nile Trail, is now set to embark on one of their income generating projects, the […]
African aviation – Decision time for African governments to help or let go
GULF CARRIERS BIGGEST THREAT TO AFRICAN AVIATION Two aviation sources have of late once again expressed their concern, that the onslaught of Gulf based airlines will eat into their traffic shares and reduce and dampen growth prospects for the future. Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines, the latter the erstwhile Pan African airline copied successfully by […]
Uganda airline news – SN drops outbound fares by 25 percent
BRUSSELS AIRLINES DROPS FARES FROM ENTEBBE BY 25 PERCENT Competition was cited by a source close to Brussels Airlines in Kampala for their move to drop outbound fares by 25 percent, which is a promotion valid until the 13th of March, effective immediately. SN is a regular visitor to Entebbe since the days of the […]
Kenya aviation news – Royal Air Maroc set for Nairobi in 2012
ROYAL AIR MAROC SET FOR NAIROBI Kenyas Minister for Tourism, Najib Balala, is in Morocco at present on a mission to promote travel between the two countries, and while there reportedly asked Royal Air Maroc to commence flights between Nairobi and Casablanca. Nonstop flights are thought to encourage both tourism and trade between the two […]
Seychelles news – Work has started for new Seychelles Tourism Academy
WORK BEGINS IN EARNEST AT THE NEW STA CAMPUS Information from Mahe indicates that work has now began at the new campus of the Seychelles Tourism Academy, where when complete some 500 students will be able to undertake certificate, diploma and degree courses in hospitality and tourism studies. Demolition of some of the existing buildings […]
60 years ago, when a Princess climbed up to Treetops and came down a Queen
TREETOPS, WHERE THE PRINCESS TURNED QUEEN On February 06th in 1952, outside Nyeri in the forest of the Aberdare Mountains, did a youthful Princess Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philipp climb up the ladders into a treetop hideaway, to spend the night watching the game parade by the waterhole below. Little did she know, and […]
Uganda news – New cars for parliamentarians translates to no money for tourism promotion
PARLIAMENTARY GREED ADDS TO TOURISM FUNDING WOES News emerged from sources in parliament that a controversial deal for new vehicles for members of parliament is apparently going ahead, worth over 100 million Uganda Shillings per MP, draining the available funds left in the emancipated purses of the Ministry of Finance even more. Only last week […]
African airlines hope for Chinese government ban on the EU’s ETS will see the scheme suspended
AFRICAN AIRLINES HOPE CHINESE REFUSAL OF THE EUS ETS WILL BRING CHANGES The just reported directive of the Chinese government, prohibiting Chinese airlines from participating in any form or shape in the European Unions Emission Trading Scheme or ETC, has set not only China and Europe on a collision path but opened new hope for […]
Kenya aviation news – Additional rights issue team announcements complete Kenya Airways’ line up
KENYA AIRWAYS PUTS FINAL TOUCHES TO RIGHTS ISSUE TEAM Information was received over the weekend that the Pride of Africa has named Ugandas Crested Stock Securities and Tanzanias Orbit Securities alongside Standard Investment Bank, the initially named primary and lead broker in Kenya to complete the line up covering all three East African stock exchanges […]
Uganda news – World Wetland Day celebration sees State Minister blame tourism for wetland destruction
STATE MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT FACES WRATH OF TOURISM FRATERNITY Carelessly uttered remarks by State Minister for Environment Ms. Flavia Munaba over the weekend in Rakai District, where she officiated over the World Wetland Day under the local theme Wetlands Supporting Tourism for our Survival drew immediate condemnation and acid criticism from hospitality operators, whom the […]
Uganda aviation news – Wild Skies over Kajjansi, Version 2.0
WILD SKIES OVER KAJJANSI RELOADED (Capt. Howard Davenport flying inverted over Lake Victoria with this correspondent at the time as his daring passenger in the front seat, picture courtesy of KAFTC) The Kampala Aero Club celebrated its 15th anniversary last Saturday at the Kajjansi airfield with a series of stunning aerial displays in the skies […]
Mauritius aviation news – Air Mauritius raises fares by 5 percent, excludes La Reunion and Rodrigues flights
AIR MAURITIUS PUTS 5 PERCENT FARE INCREASE INTO PLACE Information was confirmed overnight that Air Mauritius has with immediate effect raised their fares by 5 percent across the board for international flights, to cater for the rise in fuel and other cost. In addition will a further fare rise become due when the full impact […]
Vanilla Islands sure to benefit from latest Maldives blunder to attempt raise airport handling fees by over 50 percent
VANILLA ISLANDS READY TO BENEFIT FROM NEW MALDIVES BLUNDER Only weeks after first banning all resort Spas across the Maldives islands for allegedly being brothels in disguise, and then making a swift U-turn when the fall out of the potential damage to the lucrative tourism businesses became evident in the wake of nearly unprecedented condemnation […]
Uganda tourism news – Sectoral budget diverted to pay for electricity subsidies, stakeholders infuriated
TOURISM FUNDING CUT TO PAY FOR ELECTRICITY The chronic funding shortage for tourism marketing and the pathetic facilitation of the Ministry of Tourism, formed only 11 months ago following the general elections of 2011, has at last been partly explained, when news emerged in Kampala overnight that cabinet had sanctioned a budget shift of 377 […]
Seychelles news update – New Air Seychelles management confronted on day one with domestic air services problems
PRASLIN RESIDENTS COMPLAINTS AWAIT NEW AIR SEYCHELLES MANAGERS As the new CEO and his CFO got acquainted to their desks at the Air Seychelles headoffice at the Mahe International Airport, across on Praslin island did residents and tourism stakeholders voice their concerns, if not outright protest, over the state of inter island air services provided […]
Kenya aviation news – President Kibaki to formally open new Kisumu International Airport
PRESIDENT KIBAKI TO FORMALLY OPEN NEW KISUMU INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT Today will see the long awaited formal opening of the extension of Kisumus newly elevated international airport by none other than President Mwai Kibaki who will fly to Kisumu from Nairobi for the function. Work for the expansion of Kisumu International Airport started back in 2009 […]
Uganda celebrates World Wetlands Day while conservationists decry lip service and turning a blind eye by government
DEVASTATING JUDGEMENT ON UGANDAS PROTECTION OF WETLANDS As the World Wetlands Day is being celebrated around the globe, Uganda has little to be proud of, considering the devastating report produced by the national biomass study, that the country has lost nearly 570.000 hectares of wetlands over the past two decades. Relentless encroachment, draining and complicity […]
Kenya tourism news – Kilaguni Serena tops TripAdvisor survey
KILAGUNI SERENA CAPTURES TRIPADVISORS TOP RANKING (Picture courtesy of Lesley Simpson Communications) TripAdvisor has named the Kilaguni Serena Safari Lodge in the heart of Tsavo West National Park as their top choice for 2012 for their annual Top 25 Bargain Hotels in Africa by TripAdvisor when the results of their readers and contributors survey conducted […]
Uganda aviation news – Air Uganda takes the fight for passengers to the market
AIR UGANDA TAKES THE FIGHT TO THE MARKET (Picture courtesy of Air Uganda) With presently three flights a week between Entebbe to Mombasa and on to Zanzibar, Ugandas quasi national airline U7 is clearly intent to fill those 50 seats in the CRJ 200 they use on the route. Fares, excluding of taxes, begin at […]
