LONRHO set to partner with Sir Stelios to bring EasyHotels to Kenya
LONRHO PLANS RETURN TO KENYA’S HOTEL SCENE WITH EASY HOTEL BRAND The emerging partnership between Lonrho and Sir Stelios, already evident in the aviation sector with the joint venture called ‘FastJet’, appears set to intensify when plans became known during the just ended Africa Hotel Investment Conference at the Nairobi InterContinental Hotel, that the two […]
NEMA puts thumbs down on golf courses in national parks
NEMA SAYS NO TO GOLF IN PARKS In what has been described as a courageous move, opposing powerful business interests and almost outright defying the powers that be in Uganda, the National Environmental Management Authority has shown teeth when turning the thumbs down on applications to build a golf course inside any of Uganda’s national […]
Drop in South coast occupancy shows worrying trend
KENYASOUTHCOAST BED OCCUPANCY DROPS Information received by a regular source from the Kenyan coast makes stark reading, as the occupancy statistics attached to it made for an average of only 43 percent in September. Variances though were significant, ranging from 15 to 75 percent occupancy, but worrying overall as by and large the figures were […]
Seychelles Tourism Minister Alain St. Ange meets owners of small hotels
GET ACTIVE UNDER THE SHTA FRAMEWORK ST. ANGE TELLS OWNERS OF SMALL HOTELS Alain St. Ange, Minister for Tourism and Culture of the Seychelles, has last week met with a delegation of small hotel and business owners along the ‘Golden Mile’ of Beau Vallon Bay to discuss a range of issue with them they had […]
Congo’s wildlife rangers remain targets of militias
CONGO RANGERS REMAIN TARGESTS AS KINSHASA REGIME GOES AWOL Since the stark news emerged from the lowland forest around Ituri, that militias had vented their anger and frustration on the ICCN headquarters in Epulu with a large scale attack, killing at least 6 staff or family members back in June, little seems to have changed […]
RwandAir announces major schedule changes
RWANDAIR ANNOUNCES SCHEDULE CHANGES In a press release overnight has RwandAir announced daily flights between Kigali and Dubai, effective from the onset of the airline’s ‘winter schedule’ and up by one from the previous 6 flights per week. At the same time will Johannesburg be served daily, flights to Lagos be increased from the present […]
RwandAir – A regional success story set to fly higher still
RWANDAIR’S GROWTH SECRET REVEALED When on October 22ndRwandAir’s and in fact Africa’s first CRJ900 touches down in Kigali, undoubtedly first having performed the traditional low level fly-past, invited guests are likely to hear a range of announcements about the airline’s plans for new destinations and more frequencies. The sale of the carrier’s owned CRJ200 aircraft […]
STB and SNPA sign formal partnership agreement
STB SIGNS PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT WITH NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY The Seychelles Tourism Board and Seychelles National Parks Authority have further cemented their already strong partnership with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on Monday 24 September 2012 at the Seychelles Tourism Board head office in Bel Ombre. Aimed to coincide with the Seychelles Tourism Week, […]
More water for coastal beach resorts delights hoteliers
COAST HOTELS SET TO GET MORE WATER It was learned overnight that the Coast Water and Services Board has now started to pump a further 35 million litres of water a day to the coast, stretching from Malindi to the Mombasa, a significant increase in capacity, which now stands at 155 million litres a day […]
Seychelles’ Festival Kreol attracts wide sponsorship from private sector
SEYCHELLES’ FESTIVAL KREOL ATTRACTS WIDE SPONSORSHIP The archipelago’s private sector has reportedly responded positively to requests for greater sponsorship of one of the islands main cultural events, the annual ‘Festival Kreol’. Reports are coming out of Victoria that major corporate entities have ‘adopted’ individual events and activities and contributed in cash and kind towards making […]
Emaar comes to Kenya with The Address in tow
EMAAR COMES TO KENYA WITH GOLF COURSE DEVELOPMENT The greater Mara area is now set to get its first major golf development, 18 hole course and resort, after Emaar Properties of Dubai has announced their plans for entering the Kenyan market. Alongside the just ended hotel investment conference in Nairobi the news were broken, and […]
COMESA announces slight change in Business Forum dates for Kampala Summit in November
COMESA AMENDS BUSINESS FORUM DATES FOR KAMPALASUMMIT Information just received indicates that the planned business forum alongside the COMESA Summit in November in Kampala, has been shifted to 20th and 21st. The following statement was received from the COMESA Secretariat for distribution: 8th COMESA Business Forum and International Exhibition; 20- 21November, 2012(Forum); 19- 24November, 2012(Exhibition) […]
Kagesheki meets Rifai to discuss preparations for Pan African Tourism Conference
KAGESHEKI MEETS RIFAI AT UNWTO IN MADRID Tanzania’s tourism minister Amb. Khamis Kagesheki has earlier this week met with UNWTO Secretary General Taleb Rifai in Madrid, his first such visit since being appointed to replace his hapless predecessor a few months ago. UNWTO will hold its inaugural ‘Pan African Conference on Sustainable Tourism’ in Arusha […]
Nairobi all set to get first ‘Double Decker’ highway in Eastern and Central Africa
KENYA ALL SET FOR FIRST ‘DOUBLE DECKER’ ROAD ACROSS THE CITY It was learned from usually reliable sources in Nairobi that the Kenyan government and the World Bank have signed a loan agreement for 25.5 billion Kenya Shillings, aimed to finance the construction of a new ‘upper level’ road across the city, running along the […]
A tongue in cheek piece from GQ India about Mauritius’ attempt to give two islands away
Dear Mauritius Oops, we almost didnt see you there. Anyway, since weve got a moment, wed quickly like to thank you for all the support youve given our country. We only recently discovered that almost 40 per cent of foreign investment to India comes via your shores thanks to a conveniently favourable tax treaty the […]
EATP launch in Kampala sees demand for formation of a regional tourism agency
ESTABLISH A TOURISM COORDINATION PLATFORM EATP CHAIR URGES EAC LEADERS The East Africa Tourism Platform, in short known as EATP, supported by TradeMark East Africa launched in its final county in the East African Community at a cocktail held last night at the Hotel Africana in Kampala, Uganda. The EATPs founding Chairman, Richard Rugimbana noted […]
Kigali set to get fourth Brussels Airlines flight
BRUSSELS AIRLINES TO ADD MORE FLIGHTS FOR KIGALI Effective 28th October, the onset of the traditional winter schedule for airlines worldwide, will Brussels Airlines add a fourth weekly flight to Kigali, which will then return to the European capital via Nairobi. This added frequency will according to information received operate on Fridays. It was at […]
Kipng’etich quits KWS amid both regret and relief
KIPNG ETICH QUITS KWS AMID BOTH REGRET AND RELIEF News broke late yesterday that the CEO of Kenya Wildlife Services, Dr. Julius Kipngetich has tendered his resignation, effective immediately, and that the Board of Trustees of KWS has accepted his decision. Having been at the helm of KWS for 8 years, longer than most of […]
Turkish Airlines announces schedule and capacity changes for East Africa
TURKISH ANNOUNCES CHANGES FOR EAST AFRICA FLIGHTS Information was given by Turkish Airlines about a number of changes to flight schedules and aircraft used for their destinations in Eastern Africa, effective start of the traditional winter schedule. Kigali will from 28th October be served 5 times a week, getting one more flight using a B737-800 […]
Kempinski announces major expansion drive into Africa
KEMPINSKI USES NAIROBI HOTEL CONFERENCE TO BREAK NEWS Kempinski has announced plans for further expansion into Africa during the ongoing Africa Hotel Investment Forum held at the InterContinental Hotel in Nairobi. It was learned from a usually reliable source that with new management agreements under review in more than a dozen countries, and five hotels […]
Former German Ambassador Klaus Holderbaum makes Presidential Advisor on Tourism
HOLDERBAUM APPOINTED PRESIDENTIAL ADVISOR ON TOURISM Former German Ambassador to Uganda, Klaus Holderbaum, was recently appointed as Presidential Advisor on Tourism and Trade, after already serving previously as Advisor to the Ministry of Tourism, Trade and Industry, as it was then known. Holderbaum served as Germanys Ambassador to Uganda between 1999 and 2003 and then […]
Sudanese antagonists reach agreement on Abyei in Addis Ababa
ADDIS TALKS SET DATE FOR ABYEI REFERNDUM The ongoing talks between South Sudan and the erstwhile slave masters in Khartoum, held in Addis Ababa under the auspices of the African Union, have finally produced a tangible result. The long overdue and deliberately obstructed referendum on the future of Abyei, something the Khartoum regime is mortally […]
Robbery gone wrong kills Greek tourist in Dar es Salaam
ANOTHER ROBBERY GONE WRONG KILLS TOURIST IN DAR ES SALAAM Inspite of regular official denials over the extend of crime in Tanzanias commercial capital of Dar es Salaam, directly aimed at foreign visitors, another tragic case of a purse snatching gone horribly wrong has come to light overnight. A visiting medical doctor from Greece, walking […]
Wildlife versus trucks, the stark reality of paved roads in game rich areas
GAME VS TRAFFIC LESSONS OF THE NEW KIMANA ROAD FOR THE SERENGETI HIGHWAY In the absence of a clear commitment by the Tanzanian government, NOT to build either the controversial highway, paved or unpaved, across the key migration routes of the Serengeti, nor route the planned railway to Musoma across the same corridor, must now […]
Twende Tu recaptures market and grows stronger from edition to edition
TWENDE TU RECAPTURES MARKET With the first three editions now published and the fourth in the making, it was learned during a recent visit to Nairobi that Twende Tu has now captured over 7.000 subscriptions and over the counter sales, with the trend showing a strong growth into the third edition and likely more yet […]
Kampala Serena scoops Uganda’s one and only World Travel Award
THE KAMPALA SERENA UGANDAS ONE AND ONLY WORLD TRAVEL AWARD WINNER Arguments are often flying about my social network pages when the word luxurious is being used to describe often rather utilitarian accommodation on the Ugandan safari circuit or for the hotels in the city and in Entebbe. Either misunderstood, or outright misused, this word […]
Serena and Ol Pejeta, a winning combination
SERENA ON OL PEJETA A WINNING COMBINATION Ol Pejeta, Kenyas complete wildlife experience all in one place on the Laikipia Plains of Central Kenya has in recent years established itself as a choice destination for both overseas and local visitors, offering as comprehensive a game viewing experience as it possibly comes in Kenya. Located within […]
Serena signs Burundi deal for city hotel in Bujumbura
SERENA HOTELS SIGNS DEAL WITH BURUNDI GOVERNMENT FOR CITY HOTEL Corrrection: I was given the wrong name of the hotel in question and have therefore deleted reference to that particular hotel. Any inconvenience caused is highly regretted. As reported here previously, the Government of Burundi was for some time in negotiations with Serena Hotels to […]
Mweka Wildlife College selected as Regional Centre of Excellence
MWEKA WILDLIFE COLLEGE NAMED CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE FOR EAST AFRICA The College of African Wildlife Management, aka the Mweka Wildlife College, located near Moshi on the lower slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro, was last week named as one of only four Regional Centres of Excellence in Tanzania after a verification exercise spanning several months. From across […]
Open your skies, EAC Secretary General tells member countries
EAC SECRETARY GENERAL DEMANDS OPEN AIR SPACE ACROSS EAST AFRICA The official opening of the headquarters of CASSOA, the Civil Aviation Safety and Security Oversight Agency of the East African Community member states in Entebbe last weekend provided a platform for EAC Secretary General to spell out a few truths, which some of the countries […]
