KQ gets reprieve on staff reinstatement order
KENYA AIRWAYS GETS REPRIEVE FROM COURT OVER REINSTATEMENT ORDER Information received from Nairobi indicates that the Industrial Court in a change of mind granted an application by Kenya Airways to hold off the ordered reinstatement of over 400 staff who left the airline last year under a voluntary retirement scheme. In September last year was […]
Mabira must not die
LEAVE MABIRA ALONE CONSERVATION FRATERNITY TELLS PRESIDENT (Picture courtesy of Wikipedia) Media reports in Uganda suggest that President Museveni, while addressing a retreat of members of parliament a few days ago, appears to have raised the issue of the Mabira Forest give away again, reopening, if correct, a long standing saga. Opposed by civil society, […]
Safarilink celebrates 9th anniversary of flight operations to Kenya’s parks
SAFARILINK TURNS 9 AMID GREAT PLANS FOR THE FUTURE When Safarilink started operations in January 2004, a total of 7 staff worked with CEO John Buckley, including Anu Vohora who was tasked with selling and marketing the new airline’s services. That month Safarilink flew 29 passengers with two leased aircraft but 9 years down the […]
Uganda’s Volcanoes Safaris earns Global Vision Award for 2012
VOLCANOES SAFARIS EARNS GLOBAL TRAVEL AWARD The Travel and Leisure Magazine has in its 7th edition of the Global Vision Awards named the Kyambura Gorge Lodge, owned and operated by Volcanoes Safaris, as Africa’s best in terms of eco friendly and sustainable operations. Volcanoes owns 4 lodges in total one of them in neighbouring Rwanda, […]
Rwanda steps up customer care and service delivery monitoring
RWANDA’S NATIONAL CUSTOMER CARE & SERVICE DELIVERY TASK FORCE TAKES AIM Rwanda’s efforts to further improve service delivery and customer care across the country, not just for foreign tourist and business visitors but for Rwandan too, have gained further momentum last week when the national customer care and service delivery task force visited a number […]
Weekly roundup of news from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean region, Second edition January 2013
AVIATION, TOURISM AND CONSERVATION NEWS from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean islands. A weekly roundup of breaking news, reports, travel stories and opinions by Prof. Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome You can get your daily breaking news updates instantly via Twitter by following @whthome, join me on www.facebook.com/WolfgangHThome where the articles also ‘cross load’ or […]
EAC names common Visa as among top priorities for 2013
EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY MAKES COMMON TOURIST VISA A PRIORITY – AGAIN EAC Secretary General Dr. Richard Sezibera has named the introduction of a single tourist Visa to the region, and the revival of an East African Passport across the member states, as among the main priorities for the trade bloc in 2013 alongside the removal […]
TANAPA gives notice for park fee increases effective July
TANAPA RAISES ENTRANCE FEES FOR PARKS COME JULY Tanzania National Parks have announced a range of new increased tariffs which are due to come into effect in July this year for the period up to June 2015. The new tariffs cover not only park entrance fees for foreign nonresident visitors, resident visitors, East Africans and […]
ATCL’s return to the skies cut short as cockpit window cracks
BAD LUCK HAUNTS AIR TANZANIA ON RETURN TO THE SKIES Information is emerging from Dar es Salaam, that embattled Air Tanzania, upon taking to the skies once again last Friday, has suffered a setback on the maiden flight to Kigoma. The 39 passengers boarding from there to fly to Dar es Salaam were perhaps already […]
Draconian anti booze bill fails to get passed as Kenya’s parliament ‘expires’
HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY SPARED BY A WHISKER OF DRACONIAN ANTI BOOZE BILL The well founded fears of a devastating fallout from an ill considered bill, attempting to prohibit and criminalize the consumption and sales of alcoholic drinks over the election period in March this year, have been put to rest as Kenya’s Parliament failed to pass […]
Dar to Kigali railway project progresses on schedule
TANZANIA HOSTS TRIPARTITE MEETING WITH RAILWAY PARTNERS The Tanzanian government hosted a tripartite meeting of the Transport Ministers with Rwanda and Burundi on Friday, discussing the final submission of the feasibility study for the establishment of a rail link from Isaka to Kigali and Bujumbura. The meeting then went ahead to appoint a joint technical […]
MTPA’s latest copy / paste attempt shows moral and creative bankruptcy
MTPA’S INTELLECTUAL BANKRUPTCY MANIFESTS ITSELF IN MORE COPY / PASTE ACTIONS A section of tourism stakeholders increasingly opposed to the current leadership at MTPA, has in a number of emails to this correspondent called them ‘The undisputed masters of copy / paste’ while openly questioning their ability to introduce even a single innovation or original […]
Air Uganda attains IOSA certification, set to launch Premium Economy product
AIR UGANDA GETS IOSA CERTIFICATION Information is now available on the IATA website that Air Uganda, the Pearl of Africa’s quasi national airline, has been accorded the coveted ‘IATA Operational Safety Audit’ certification until 30th September 2013 when renewal audit is due to retain the status. Recipient is in fact Meridiana Africa Airlines (U) Limited […]
Uganda’s Mountains of the Moon, a journey in time to discover the mystery
THE MYSTERY OF THE MOUNTAINS OF THE MOON First mentioned by ancient Greek cartographer Ptolemaeus in around 150 AD, though never conclusively answered how he got the information in the first place, the Mountains of the Moon, today also called the Rwenzori or Ruwenzori Mountains, have held a mystery, inspired travelers and dreamers and treated […]
Nairobi to get new budget hotel at Gigiri’s Village Market
OWNERS OF TRIBE HOTEL AND VILLAGE MARKET EYE BUDGET HOTEL SEGMENT Information was received from hospitality sources in Nairobi, that the owners of the hugely successful 5 star Tribe Hotel and the adjoining Village Market in Gigiri, often referred to as Nairobi’s ‘Diplomatic Zone’ for the vicinity to the sprawling UN complex nearby, have decided […]
Cost of ferry fares goes up between Mahe, Praslin and La Digue
INTER ISLAND FERRIES RAISE TICKET COST The Inter Island Ferries, which operate the famous Cat Cocos high speed ferry between Mahe and Praslin, has announced a new set of tariffs effective immediately. Tourists will now pay 835 SR (Seychelles Rupees) on the main deck and 1.080 SR in business class while Seychelles citizens pay SR […]
MTPA’s Mootosamy thought to be behind the latest spat with Seychelles
MISCHIEF ALLEGED OVER MAURITIUS’ CLAIMS OF COST TO ATTEND VICTORIA CARNIVAL The local daily ‘Today’ in the Seychelles rocked the proverbial boat when it played, wittingly or unwittingly, willing party to claims peddled by well known individuals within the Mauritius’ tourism public sector, which attempted to defend the island’s continued official absence from the Carnival […]
Kikwete pledges improvements to Singida Airstrip
KIKWETE PLEDGES IMPROVEMENTS TO SINGIDA AIRSTRIP During a just concluded visit to the Singido region in Central Tanzania has President Kikwete promised the local business community improvements to the local airfield, like a longer runway and a small passenger terminal, to accommodate larger turboprop aircraft like the ATR 72 commonly used by for instance Precision […]
KQ announces capacity reduction on Mumbai route
KENYA AIRWAYS REDUCES CAPACITY ON MUMBAI ROUTE Kenya Airways has confirmed that effective immediately 3 out of the presently 10 flights between Nairobi and Mumbai will be operated on B737-700 aircraft, leaving the remaining frequencies to be flown on a B767-300ER. This reflects according to a regular source close to the airline the present demand […]
The Boma Hotel gets the presidential nod on official opening
PRESIDENT KIBAKI OPENS THE NEW 5 STAR BOMA HOTEL (Picture courtesy of The Boma Hotel / Kenya Red Cross Society) President Mwai Kibaki yesterday formally opened The Boma Hotel in Nairobi, which over the past few months has firmly established itself as a crowd favourite and gained instant high acclaim among its clientele. The president […]
Houston Marketing sets Pre/Post ITB Spotlight Workshop dates
HOUSTON MARKETING ANNOUNCES 2013 TRADE MEETINGS PROGRAMME Derek Houston has just announced his pre and post ITB ‘Spotlight on Africa and the Indian Ocean’ programme which this year will cover the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland, aptly named the Pre and Post ITB Spotlight on Africa & Indian Ocean Island European Roadshow. Derek […]
Qatar Airways ups Poland flights to daily
QATAR AIRWAYS UPS WARSAW FREQUENCIES FROM FOUR TO DAILY Poland’s capital Warsaw will be coming closer to Qatar Airways’ East African destinations Entebbe, Nairobi, Kilimanjaro and Dar es Salaam following an announcement by the airline that come February daily flights will be operated compared to the initial four per week, using an Airbus A320. Launched […]
A guest feature about tourism at the Kenya Coast by MCTA
Swahili Coast: A sub-brand of Magical Kenya seeks to market the Kenyan coast as a separate destination Posted: 07 Jan 2013 02:00 AM PST A large number of tourism players at the Kenyan coast have expressed sentiments that they would wish to see the coast tourism circuit branded and marketed as a separate destination. The […]
Poachers wipe out elephant family of 11 in Tsavo East area
KENYA’S CONSERVATION FRATERNITY REELING FROM LATEST POACHING NEWS News that 11 elephant were slaughtered for their ivory tusks have prompted wide outrage among Kenya’s conservation fraternity, with immediate demands of a strong hand response to hunt down those responsible for this latest elephantcide. An entire elephant family of 11, young ones included, was wiped out […]
Brussels Airlines offers new cabin product for East African market
BRUSSELS AIRLINES COMPLETE CABIN RETROFITTING Brussels Airlines, serving Nairobi, Entebbe, Kigali and Bujumbura in the East African region, has announced that the retrofitting of their Airbus A330 aircraft with an entirely new cabin product for both Economy and Business Class has been completed on schedule. The new facilities on board are now available on every […]
Kempinski Nairobi opening now set for May 2013
NAIROBI KEMPINSKI NOW SET FOR MAY GRAND OPENING The Villa Rosa Kempinski in Nairobi will according to a reliable source now open in May this year, pushed from an initial tentative March opening date, to allow for the finishing of rooms and interior to the exacting standards, the hotel group demands new properties to meet […]
Le Meridien Fisherman’s Cove suffers minor fire damage, operations continue
LE MERIDIEN FISHERMANS COVE SUFFERS MINOR FIRE DAMAGE One of the finest hotels along the Beau Vallon bay, the Le Meridien Fisherman’s Cove, has over the weekend suffered fire damage to the thatch roof over the main restaurant. The accidental fire, no guests or staff came to any harm at the time, was however swiftly […]
Seychelles readies for Carnaval de Carnivals as new visitor record numbers come in
NEW VISITOR RECORD SETS TONE FOR 2013 The jury’s verdict is in and the number was exactly 208.034 – being the combined arrivals of visitors by air and sea in the Seychelles for the year 2012. The increase of well over 8 percent compared with 2011 was largely supported by the tourist board’s strategy of […]
Tanzania set to tap into wind power with new 100 MW plant
TANZANIA READY TO TAP INTO WINDPOWER WITH 100 MW PILOT PLANT Tanzania will be tapping into green, renewable energy sources come 2014, when a proposed 100 MW wind power plant will come on line, now under construction in the Singida region of Central Tanzania. Wind East Africa Limited, the joint venture between Tanzania’s Six Telecom […]
Weekly roundup of news from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean islands, First edition January 2013
AVIATION, TOURISM AND CONSERVATION NEWS from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean islands. A weekly roundup of breaking news, reports, travel stories and opinions by Prof. Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome You can get your daily breaking news updates instantly via Twitter by following @whthome, join me on www.facebook.com/WolfgangHThome where the articles also ‘cross load’ or […]
