Weekly roundup of news from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean region, Fifth edition June 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 news updates instantly via Twitter by following @whthome or join me on www.facebook.com/WolfgangHThome where the articles also ‘cross load’. Read […]
Kandie boosts the importance of Kenya’s tourism trade associations
TOURISM CABINET SECRETARY’S COMMENTS BOOST TRADE ASSOCIATIONS (Posted 29th June 2013) While addressing the general meeting of the Kenya Association of Hotel Keepers and Caterers, which took place earlier in the week at the Whitesands Resort and Spa in Bamburi / Mombasa, did the Cabinet Secretary for East African Affairs, Commerce and Tourism, Mrs. Phyllis […]
Seychellois citizens now enjoy Visa free visits to China
VISA WAIVER FOR SEYCHELLOIS VISITING CHINA NOW IN EFFECT (Posted 29th June 2013) HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY TO THE PEOPLE AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE SEYCHELLES Effective 26th of June can Seychellois citizens, who want to visit China, including Hong Kong, where Air Seychelles flies to three times a week, enter China on a 30 day […]
RwandAir takes delivery of second B737-700NG
RWANDAIR TAKES DELIVERY OF SECOND B737-700NG (Posted 28th June 2013) Yesterday afternoon saw another addition to RwandAir’s growing fleet arrive in Kigali, when the second B737-700NG landed at the international airport. The aircraft, formerly operated by TUIFly of Germany and only about 6 years old, brings to a close the replacement exercise of the more […]
Kenya Airways introduces new cost cutting measures in wake of FY 2012/13 losses
KENYA AIRWAYS INTRODUCES NEW COST CUTTING MEASURES TO BOOST PROFITABILITY (Posted 28th June 2013) Good news for shareholders have come out of the Kenya Airways headoffice in Embakasi, when information was released yesterday about projected 5 billion Kenya Shillings in savings over the next few years, following the re-negotiation of crucial maintenance and supply contracts […]
Sherin Naiken confirmed as new STB Chief Executive
CHANGES AT THE HELM OF STB (Posted 28th June 2013) (On the left the outgoing STB CEO Elsia Grandcourt and on the right incoming CEO Sherin Naiken) A press release yesterday late afternoon from the office of President James Alix Michel, confirmed that the Chief Executive of the Seychelles Tourism Board, Mrs. Elsia Grandcourt, will […]
Seychelles and Hong Kong sign new BASA
SEYCHELLES SIGNS NEW BASA WITH HONG KONG (Posted 27th June 2013) Information was received from Mahe, that during the ongoing Investment Conference, which the Seychelles are presently holding in Hong Kong in order to attract both business links and more tourists, a new bilateral air services agreement was signed between the archipelago and Hong Kong, […]
Serengeti killer highway back on the agenda
SERENGETI HIGHWAY BACK ON TANZANIA’S AGENDA AS BUDGET SET ASIDE FOR PLANNING (Posted 27th June 2013) Words like ‘deception’ but also the undiplomatic word ‘lies’ were used in comments sent to this correspondent when news emerged that the Tanzanian government, in the face of past protests and boycott threats, and in neglect of more viable […]
Tourists find cost of accommodation shoot up by 18 percent
UGANDA’S HOTEL FORCED TO RAISE TARIFFS BY 18 PERCENT (Posted 27th June 2013) Notices are now being sent out by hotels, lodges and resorts from across Uganda to their clientele, warning them of an imminent rise in tariffs. The Ugandan Minister for Finance Maria Kiwanuka, during her budget speech two weeks ago, announced that the […]
The pro’s and con’s of the Obama visit to Africa
US PRESIDENTIAL VISITS – BONUS OR INTOLERABLE BURDEN (Posted 27th June 2013) When US President Barrack Obama touches down at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam in a few days, there will be a fair amount of BO-OOO’s from neighbouring Kenya, the land his late father came from and the land he ostensibly […]
Tourism cabinet secretary Phyllis Kandie set to visit site for new hospitality college today
NEW TOURISM COLLEGE TO BE SET UP IN KILIFI (Posted 26th June 2013) A regular source from Mombasa has confirmed that the current visit to the coast by Cabinet Secretary Phyllis Kandie, who holds the tourism portfolio besides regional cooperation and commerce, will have her see the proposed site in Kilifi for the new tourism […]
Narok County kicks out Equity Bank from Masai Mara fee collection deal
NAROK COUNTY TERMINATES EQUITY BANK’S MASAI MARA GATE COLLECTION DEAL (Posted 26th June 2013) Details were received overnight that the Narok County government has unilaterally cancelled the 7 year deal the previous Narok County Council had entered into with Equity Bank for the collection of gate fees for the Masai Mara Game Reserve, which is […]
QATAR Airways name London and Paris as first A380 destinations
QATAR AIRWAYS NAME LONDON AND PARIS AS FIRST A380 DESTINATIONS (Posted 26th June 2013) Qatar Airways has announced that once they will receive their long awaited Airbus A380, the first destination to be served with the giant aircraft will be London Heathrow, later to be followed by Paris CDG. The aircraft will be configured in […]
Houston Marketing sets dates for next Seashow in Scandinavia
HOUSTON MARKETING TARGETS SCANDINAVIA FOR AFRICAN MARKET WITH SEASHOW (Posted 26th June 2013) Targeting the growing Scandinavian market to Africa and the Indian Ocean islands, here comes an ideal opportunity once again to meet with most of the major wholesalers and tour operators in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland. Collectively the four Nordics countries are […]
Reed Exhibitions bank on Africa’s future with launch of new events
REED TRAVEL EXHIBITIONS ADD FOCUS ON AFRICA (Posted 26th June 2013) Reed Travel Exhibitions have announced the dates for a three pronged approach in holding three key promotional events at the same time and at the same venue. The ‘Africa Travel Week’ will be staged in Cape Town between 28th of April to May 03rd […]
Danielle Payet-Alis takes over from Louis D’Offay at SHTA
SEYCHELLES TOURISM BIDS FAREWELL TO LOUIS D’OFFAY AT SHTA (Posted 25th June 2013) Louis D’Offay, for the last 15 years the chairman of the Seychelles Hotel and Tourism Association SHTA, has during the just concluded Annual General Meeting of the archipelago’s premier private sector association retired from his position. Under his leadership over the past […]
Air Seychelles climbs on to a Skytrax’s podium position
AIR SEYCHELLES MAKES IT TO SKYTRAX PODIUM POSITION (Posted 25th June 2013) The turnaround at Air Seychelles, manifested through a million US Dollar profit after not much more than a year of partnership with Etihad, Abu Dhabi’s national airline, and marked by a rush of code share arrangements which now sees the HM code carried […]
Tanzania ranked top safari destination by Safaribookings.com
TANZANIA RANKED TOP SAFARI DESTINATION IN AFRICA (Posted 24th June 2013) Good news emerged over the weekend when the rankings by www.Safaribookings.com became known, which put Tanzania, albeit by a mere whisker, on top of the African rankings as the continent’s leading safari destination. Second came Botswana, followed by the arguably more fancied Kenya, Zambia […]
Budget cuts for tourism a real and present danger to the sector
COAST HOTELIERS RAISE RED FLAG OVER PROPOSED BUDGET CUTS (Posted 24th June 2013) Senior hoteliers along the Kenya coast have raised the red flag over proposed budget cuts for the country’s tourism sector, warning of dire consequences should the planned recovery marketing missions not unfold and take root as a result of lack of funds. […]
Many Tourism and Hospitality students among applicants for scholarships
MADHVANI FOUNDATION OFFERS HOPE TO TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY STUDENTS (Posted 24th June 2013) Uganda’s best endowed and without argument largest educational foundation, the Madhvani Foundation, has this year received over 1.400 applications from students seeking support for their studies, a dream only having a chance to turn into reality if chosen by the trustees of […]
UNWTO’s Dr. Taleb Rifai among the ‘namers’ of Kwita Izina 2013
UNWTO’S DR. TALEB RIFAI NAMES GORILLA BABY AT KWITA IZINA FESTIVAL (Posted 23rd June 2013) (Dr. Taleb Rifai seen here emerging from the traditional homestead at the Kinigi Kwita Izina showground after being dressed in a traditional ceremonial Rwandan outfit – picture by W. Thome) The Secretary General of the UN World Tourism Organization, Dr. […]
Kibeho welcomes first ever Indian pilgrims to Rwanda
RELIGIOUS ‘CIRCUIT’ IN KIBEHO WELCOMES FIRST PILGRIMS FROM INDIA (Posted 23rd June 2013) (Image taken from www.inhisname.com) Only days ago was it reported here that the Rwanda Development Board’s Tourism and Conservation Department had launched a new religious tourism product for visits to Kibeho, that a first ever group of Indian pilgrims from Goa came […]
Weekly roundup of news from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean region, Fourth edition June 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 news updates instantly via Twitter by following @whthome or join me on www.facebook.com/WolfgangHThome where the articles also ‘cross load’. Read […]
RDB reveals new tourism attractions ahead of Kwita Izina
RWANDA TOURISM DIVERSIFIES MORE WITH THE OPENING OF NEW ATTRACTIONS (Posted 22nd June 2013) Rwanda has for a long time been considered primarily as a destination for gorilla tracking, and indeed, even today, gorilla tracking is the single most important tourism activity visitors come here for to experience. The tourism planners at the Rwanda Development […]
Kampala troubles dismay Uganda’s tourism stakeholders
TOURISM STAKEHOLDERS EXPRESS DISMAY OVER KAMPALA TROUBLES (Posted 22nd June 2013) Some of the Ugandan tourism stakeholders presently in Rwanda for the annual Kwita Izina Festival of the Gorillas, have left no doubt about their frustration over the international media picking up about the clashes in Kampala over the past days, which in the words […]
Change has come to Kwita Izina
CHANGE HAS COME TO KWITA IZINA 2013 (Posted 21st June 2013) Those who came to Rwanda to help celebrate the annual Festival of the Gorillas, the now in its 9th year Kwita Izina and expected to sing from the same hymn sheet as in past years, were in for a major surprise when they received […]
The dirty politics of Genocide justice
THE DIRTY POLITICS OF GENOCIDE JUSTICE (Posted 20th June 2013) For those who followed the trials in Arusha at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, some mindboggling decisions on appeal may come back to the forefront of their memories, when news confirmed overnight broke that the President of the Appeals Chamber, one Theodor Meron, found […]
Ol Pejeta’s ‘Mt. Kenya Wildlife Estate’ completes first home
MOUNT KENYA WILDLIFE ESTATE GETS READY TO SHOWCASE FIRST COMPLETE HOME (Posted 20th June 2013) Ol Pejeta is arguably Kenya’s most complete and easiest to access wildlife conservancy, where game and cattle live side by side on the sprawling 90.000+ acres estate. Home to the highest concentration of the Eastern Black Rhino in the entire […]
KTF statement on attempted ‘budget robbery’ minces no words
KTF SPEAKS OUT ON ATTEMPT TO ROB KENYA’S TOURISM SECTOR THROUGH BUDGET CUTS (Posted 19th June 2013) The Chairperson of the Kenya Tourism Federation, Mrs. Lucy Karume, too wasted no time to go on record and condemn the attempts by the parliamentary budget and appropriations committee to rob the tourism sector blind by diverting half […]
Air Seychelles partner Etihad wins top awards for best first class services
AIR SEYCHELLES PARTNER ETIHAD CAPTURES KEY SKYTRAX AWARDS AT PARIS AIRSHOW (Posted 19th June 2013) Etihad Airways, which holds a 40 percent stake in Air Seychelles, has yesterday reclaimed the trophy of ‘Best First Class’ for the fourth year running, but also added two more, ‘Best First Class Seat’ and ‘Best First Class Catering’ to […]
