Qatar Airways scoops more ‘Best’ awards for their business class
QATAR AIRWAYS’ BUSINESS CLASS RATED TOPS BY BUSINESS TRAVELLER USA AWARDS (Posted 22nd January 2014) Travellers from Eastern Africa, spoiled by the choices they have today when it comes to air travel, will see yet another box ticked against the name of Qatar Airways in addition to being rated for several years now by Skytrax […]
Precision Air signs codeshare with Air Uganda for DAR – JRO – EBB
PRECISION AIR AND AIR UGANDA SIGN CODESHARE FOR ENTEBBE – DAR ROUTE (Posted 21st January 2014) Information was received yesterday that Precision Air and Air Uganda have signed a code share deal, which will see the two airlines book and sell each others’ tickets and widen the choice of departures and destinations for both carriers. […]
JKIA’s Terminal Four set to feature big name in global fast food
BIG FAST FOOD NAME MAY BE HEADING TO JKIA AS KAA INVITES TENDERS FROM GLOBAL BRANDS (Posted 21st January 2014) The Kenya Airport Authority has invited tenders from international fast food brands to submit bids ahead of the opening of the new Terminal 4 which is expected to open in a few months time. According […]
Jane Goodall ranks Uganda’s Ngamba Island as THE BEST
JANE GOODALL CALLS NGAMBA ISLAND AFRICA’S BEST SANCTUARY (Posted 21st January 2014) Jane Goodall, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and UN Peace Ambassador, on her 80th birthday, while visiting Ngamba, pronounced Uganda’s sole chimpanzee refuge as the best there is, not a mean feat considering that there are another 28 such primate sanctuaries on […]
African arrivals in 2013 grow by 3 million to 56 overall
AFRICA’S SHARE IN GLOBAL TOURISM MOVEMENTS RISES TO 56 MILLION ARRIVALS (Posted 21st January 2014) Arrivals to Africa in 2013 have grown by an average of 6 percent to 56 million overall an increase in real numbers by 3 million, largely aided by a gradual recovery in North Africa, where political unrest had depressed tourist […]
GeoLodges – 20 years and counting
GEOLODGES CELEBRATE 20 YEARS OF SUPERB HOSPITALITY WITH SPECIAL OFFERS (Posted 21st January 2014) 20 years and counting it is for what is today known as GeoLodges Uganda, a boutique lodge operation which took off – and it seems like yesterday really – in 1994 with their first property on the River Nile just outside […]
Kenya Airways launches own market blitz with ‘Big Annual Sale’
KENYA AIRWAYS RESPONDS TO COMPETITORS SALES FLURRY WITH OWN MARKET BLITZ (Posted 21st January 2014) When some of the Gulf’s leading airlines launched their early new year sales campaigns, promoting festivals and generally flooding the market with special fares, the usual suspects were swift in lambasting Kenya Airways – any reason apparently will do for […]
Qatar Airways starts 2014 with 3 day special sale action
QATAR AIRWAYS HITS MARKET WITH UP TO 30 PERCENT FARE REBATES (Posted 20th January 2014) Qatar Airways entered the new year in a fighting mood, offering up to 30 percent rebates on economy and business class fares, countering the current market offensive by closest rivals Emirates which is presently blitzing the East African markets with […]
Tanzania gets new tourism minister amid reports of rhino poaching and robbery of tourists
NYALANDU APPOINTED MINISTER AS RHINO IS POACHED AND TOURISTS ARE ROBBED (Posted 19th January 2014) The first order of business for newly appointed Hon. Lazaro Nyalandu, now elevated from Deputy Minister to a full Cabinet Minister, will have to be dealing with the disturbing news from Arusha, that an Eastern Black Rhino was killed late […]
Meet the Seychelles at FITUR / Madrid
SEYCHELLES MARKETING JUGGERNAUT RESUMES AT FITUR (Posted 20th January 2014) The new year for the Seychelles marketing team will start with an appearance at FITUR which opens in Madrid on January 22nd and runs until 26th. None other than Minister for Tourism and Culture, Alain St. Ange, will lead the Seychelles’ delegation to Madrid where […]
Shanghai next for Ethiopian Airlines
ETHIOPIAN SET FOR DAILY SHANGHAI FLIGHTS (Posted 19th January 2014) Ethiopian Airlines will commence daily flights from Addis Ababa to Shanghai as Africa’s largest airline seeks to capitalize from increased passenger and cargo traffic from Africa to China and vice versa. ET was a pioneer in flying to China with flights to Beijing before progressively […]
Tanzania calls common tourist Visa a ‘Security Risk’
TANZANIA REJECTS OFFER TO JOIN COMMON EAST AFRICAN TOURIST VISA SCHEME (Posted 19th January 2014) Tanzania’s latest snub towards the Coalition of the Willing came late last week when officials called the recently launched common tourist Visa for Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya a ‘security risk’ and a threat to its economy, reasons immediately dismissed as […]
Zambia’s Proflight ‘welcomes’ the planned arrival of FastJet
PROFLIGHT ZAMBIA RESPONDS TO FASTJET PLANS (Posted 19th January 2014) Proflight, Zambia’s only remaining scheduled airline flying to international destinations as well as serving domestic routes with presently a fleet of 16 single engine, twin engine and turboprop aircraft, has responded to news that FastJet was eyeing an entry into the Zambian market. Started in […]
Meet Rwanda’s ‘gorilla doctor’ for 26 years
A remarkable story was just send to me by a regular reader from Kigali, asking if I could PLEASE reproduce an article which features today in the Rwanda’s leading daily newspaper, the New Times Rwanda. It is a pleasure my friend – and I am sure readers will appreciate the information, especially given at this […]
Kenya Airways’ first B787 on the assembly line now
KENYA AIRWAYS’ FIRST B787 DREAMLINER ‘UNDER CONSTRUCTION’ (Posted 18th January 2014) Information was received from a source at Boeing, notably NOT from Kenya Airways, that the Pride of Africa’s first B787 Dreamliner, due for delivery in March this year, is now advancing with its assembly at the Boeing facility in Seattle. Kenya Airways has 9 […]
21 Marathons in 21 Days – running for the Mountain Gorillas
RUNNING FOR GORILLAS ENDED YESTERDAY AT CONGO BORDER (Posted 18th January 2014) "800reasons" is one man´s Charity Run across Uganda! Aim is to draw Your attention to extremely endangered mountain gorillas! My promise is to run as many kilometers as there are mountain gorillas left in the world.. 880 km in 21 days! www.800reasons.com is […]
Jet-Set trouble at Malindi airport
BRIATORE JET HAS A MIND OF ITS OWN (Posted 18th January 2014) Reports have emerged from Kenya that the jet of Flavio Briatore, former F1 Renault team chief and owner of the Lion in the Sun and the Billionaires Resort in Malindi, suffered a mishap while parked at the airport of the resort town. Local […]
October is the month for Uganda’s national birding day events 2014
NATURE UGANDA ANNOUNCES DATES FOR NATIONAL BIRDING DAY (Posted 18th January 2014) Though still 9 months away, preparations are already well under way to once again celebrate Uganda’s rich natural heritage and in particular the country’s birdlife with another edition of the National Birding Day. The 2014 event will be spread in fact over three […]
Speaker list for AviAssist event in Entebbe out
AVIASSIST PUBLISHES KEY SPEAKER LIST FOR ENTEBBE EVENT (Posted 18th January 2014) The ‘2Gether4Safety’ seminar and expo on the 13th and 14th of March – part of a 10 day series of aviation certification and training workshops by the AviAssist Foundation, will have an impressive list of speakers lined up, according to a media release […]
FastJet eyes Zambia
FASTJET CONFIRMS PLANS TO SET UP NEW BASE IN LUSAKA (Posted 17th January 2014) Following recent intensified press speculation has FastJet now confirmed that it is in discussions with the Zambian government over the establishment of a FastJet airline based in Lusaka. The Zambian economy provides considerable opportunity. Zambia has a population of over 14 […]
KCAA chairman appointment comes under legal threat
KENYA CIVIL AVIATION DRAWN INTO CONTROVERSY OVER CHAIRMAN’S APPOINTMENT (Posted 17th January 2014) The appointment of another loser from the March 2013 general election as chairman of the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority has met with swift opposition and threats by sections of the aviation fraternity to sue government, should the appointment – like several others […]
Bomas of Kenya plans shot down in flames as bureaucrats beat a hasty retreat
TOURISM OFFICIALS EAT HUMBLE PIE OVER PREMATURE ANNOUNCEMENT FOR NEW HOTELS (Posted 17th January 2014) Tourism ministry officials were again left with egg all over their faces after it became clear that their announcement of ‘imminent plans’ to build several hotels and leisure facilities at the site of the Bomas of Kenya in the Langata […]
Kenya Airways introduces new Commercial Director
KENYA AIRWAYS APPOINTS NEW COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR (Posted 17TH January 2014) Kenya Airways’ prolonged search for a replacement of Mohan Chandra has been concluded as the airline announced the appointment of Mr. Gerard Clark as their new Commercial Director. Gerard, on his LinkedIn page, describes his own professional experience as follows: Spanning 25+ years, expertise across […]
Catching up with Amadeus East Africa’s Juan Torres
AMADEUS EAST AFRICA – DRIVEN BY INNOVATION AND DRIVING INNOVATION (Posted 17th January 2014) (Juan Torres of Amadeus East Africa) Readers of this publication have, going by the feedback constantly received, a healthy appetite if not outright fascination with the latest technological developments which have over recent years reshaped the way for instance airlines and […]
AVIASSIST ready to accredit aviation media for Entebbe event
AVIASSIST ANNOUNCES MEDIA ACCREDITATION CRITERIA FOR ENTEBBE WORKSHOPS (Posted 17th January 2014) The AVIASSIST Foundation, which will be holding a series of certification workshops in Entebbe / Uganda between the 10th and 21st of March this year, has late yesterday made available their media accreditation policy for this and other of their events in a […]
Hilton opens their third property in the Seychelles
DOUBLETREE BY HILTON OPENS IN SEYCHELLES (Posted 17th January 2014) With the opening of the DoubleTree by Hilton Allamanda Resort and Spa on the Seychelles’ main island of Mahe has Hilton become the international hotel group with the most resorts on the archipelago, now numbering three in total. Described as a four star resort with […]
South Sudan tourism – a big victim of the civil war
SOUTH SUDAN TOURISM PROSPECTS ALL BUT DEAD (Posted 16th January 2014) South Sudan’s fledgling tourism industry – most travellers to Juba and beyond are traders, business men, NGO personnel and political ‘tourists’ but only a few hundred thought to have come to South Sudan for safaris – has been described as ‘dead in the Nile […]
Night travel ban for busses in Kenya strands hundreds on Mombasa bound train
TRAIN DERAILMENT STRANDS HUNDREDS OUTSIDE MOMBASA (Posted 16th January 2014) Kenya’s ill thought out directive, banning busses from travelling at night, which has brought misery to tens of thousands of travelers not only in Kenya but from across the region, who use busses to get to Kenya overnight and arrive at their destination in the […]
The Good Safari Guide News & Special Offers
The UCOTA Newsletter, re-published here yesterday, got a lot of positive feedback from readers, many asking for more such detailed ‘in country’ information. Today I am happy to share with you the latest from The Good Safari Guide and I am sure there will be plenty of more select ‘shares’ to come. Enjoy! The Good […]
Another rhino baby ‘arrives’ on Ziwa
RHINO NUMBER 14 ARRIVES AT ZIWA – THE NATURAL WAY (Posted 15th January 2014) Being currently the Acting Chairman of the Rhino Fund Uganda – my successor in office Dirk Ten Brink left Uganda for good last year prompting me to step up once again and walk the talk of conservation commitment – it is […]
