Seychelles develops new grading and classification criteria for hotels and resorts
SEYCHELLES SET FOR NEW HOTEL GRADING SYSTEM (Posted 27th March 2015) The Seychelles Ministry of Tourism and Culture has earmarked some 61 hotels, resorts and smaller locally owned accommodation units out of overall over 470 for the pilot phase of a new system to grade and rate them along internationally agreed standards. It is understood […]
No 367 Wildlife Trade News 26th March 2015
The daily dose of bad news … About poaching, wildlife and environmental crimes … Comment: We suspect at least a million pounds will have been spent on the conference in Botswana. If anyone is willing to say what has been achieved, any little thing that will save wildlife, please will you let us know? i.e. […]
Barbarons it remains but under a new brand called Avani Resorts
FORMER ‘LE MERIDIEN BARBARONS’ REOPENS AS THE ALL NEW ‘AVANI SEYCHELLES BARBARONS’ (Posted 26th March 2015) Many loyal customers have been waiting for the day when the former Le Meridien Barbarons was going to reopen, after the owners closed the resort down last year to allow for extensive remodeling and refurbishments worth over 8 million […]
Disney World here we come … starting in September that is
EMIRATES ANNOUNCES ORLANDO FLIGHTS OPENING DISNEY WORLD TO EAST AFRICANS (Posted 26th March 2015) Travelers from East Africa can look forward to join over 59 million visitors who come annually to the Orlando / Florida area mainly to visit Disney World, the company’s second US bases theme park after Disneyland which is located outside Los […]
Seychelles, truly another world even when it comes to marketing and promoting at all key tourism trade fairs
SEYCHELLES WENT TO GUANGZHOU TO TAP YET MORE INTO FASTEST GROWING MARKET (Posted 26th March 2015) The Seychelles’ Tourism Board, like their colleagues from Reunion, a fellow Vanilla Island member, lets no opportunity pass by to make a presence and show flag across the world’s leading tourism trade shows. Back from the 2015 Guangzhou International […]
Sell tickets to St. Denis on XL Airways and win a trip to Reunion
10 FLIGHTS TO REUNION UP FOR GRABS COURTESY OF XL AIRLINES (Posted 26th March 2015) In order to expand sales to the island of Reunion have the tourism board (IRT) and XL Airways set up a sales challenge to the French travel agents. Held from February 17th to March 30th will the challenge result in […]
Hotel industry in Uganda intensifies training to improve services
HOTEL ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES SPECIAL TRAINING SESSION FOR WESTERN UGANDAN HOTELS (Posted 26th March 2015) Uganda Hotel Owners’ Association On Friday this week will hotels in Western Uganda, in particular in the region around Mbarara, be able to attend a training workshop organized by the Uganda Hotel Owners Association focusing specifically on Kitchen Management. This follows […]
Zimbabwe joins Zambia to grant Fastjet an Air Service Permit, leaving Kenya trailing in the distance
FASTJET MAKES STRIDES TOWARDS ATTAINING ZIMBABWE AOC (Posted 26th March 2015) Fastjet has earlier today announced that the Zimbabwe Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development has granted them an Air Service Permit, similar to what other countries in the region call an Air Service Licence. This is a crucial first step towards establishing Fastjet (Zimbabwe) […]
New guidebooks for Uganda’s parks help promote the country’s attractions
NEW GUIDE BOOK SERIES GIVES INSIGHT INTO SOME OF UGANDA’S TOP NATIONAL PARKS (Posted 25th March 2015) Mark Jordahl, who used to live in Uganda for quite some time, has just published four illustrated guide books for some of the country’s main national parks alongside a special guide for kids who are visiting the parks […]
No 366 Wildlife Trade News 25th March 2015
Yes, another daily dose of bad news about poaching, wildlife and environmental crimes … Please note: Today’s newsletter is incomplete. Tomorrow’s will be an extended version. in the spotlight today …………………… So much time, so little done. So much expenditure, so little to show for it. The only thing that matters are results – and […]
Jovago signs up Safarilink for hotel booking deal on their website
SAFARILINK SIGNS DEAL WITH JOVAGO.COM (Posted 26th March 2015) The advance of e-Commerce across Eastern Africa has made great strides in recent years and in fact accelerated of late after safe payment platforms were introduced helping to curb fraudulent practices. The latest major cooperation deal was signed yesterday when Safarilink and Jovago.com, Africa’s largest hotel […]
Arabian Travel Market Dubai – and what eTN can do for you . . .
Meet eTN Executives at the upcoming Arabian Travel Market in Dubai … And find out what eTN can do to help you get noticed … Attending the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai, UAE 04-07 May 2015 ? OR You’re not attending this time but interested in the Middle East, Gulf Region Like Tweet +1 Attending […]
Nairobi is a funky city? Lillian Gaitho thinks so …
Read on to find out why Lillian thinks Nairobi is funky and what she recommends for newcomers to look out for and consider when moving to what once used to be ‘The Green City in the Sun’… and if any of you break out into a prolonged LOLOLOLOLOL about her last words of advice, you are all forgiven […]
Avignon next on Reunion’s European marketing drive
REUNION TOURISM PREPARES FOR DITEX2015 ATTENDANCE IN AVIGNON (Posted 25th March 2015) For the fourth consecutive year will IRT, aka Ile de la Reunion Tourisme participate in DITEX Tourism Fair which will be held on 02nd and 03rd of April in Avignon. This is a meeting place for decision makers from travel agencies and suppliers […]
NEW Mihingo Lodge WEBSITE & 3rd Mihingo Conservation Run
News from Uganda’s Mihingo Lodge / Lake Mburo Nationalpark New Mihingo Lodge Website and 3rd Mihingo Conservation Run View this email in your browser New Mihingo Lodge Website Dear Tour Companies and Guests, Over the past few months we have been putting together a new Mihingo Lodge website (www.mihingolodge.com). Please let us know what you […]
No 365 Wildlife Trade News 24th March 2015
Your daily dose of bad news about poaching, wildlife and environmental crimes from around the world …………… COMMENT: One year on from the London conference and the ivory trade continues at the same level. This has to be classed as abject failure, especially by CITES. Conferences do not save wildlife, so why do much the […]
Kamembe airport works due for completion in June
RWANDAIR SET FOR RESUMPTION OF DOMESTIC FLIGHTS TO KAMEMBE IN JULY (Posted 24th March 2015) The Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority has confirmed that the ongoing runway extension and re-surfacing will be completed on schedule by the end of June this year. RwandAir in turn has confirmed that they will resume their daily flights in early […]
One month and counting towards the 5th Seychelles Carnival
LINE UP FOR THE SEYCHELLES’S CARNIVAL JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER AND BETTER (Posted 24th March 2015) When the fifth edition of the ‘Carnaval des Carnavals – aka the Carnival International de Victoria’ kicks off on the 24th of April, in exactly one month to be precise, can the crowds lining the streets of the Seychelles’ […]
RwandAir and Airbus sign MoU for two Airbus A330’s
RWANDAIR CONFIRMS ACQUISITION OF AIRBUS A330 AIRCRAFT FOR FLEET EXPANSION (Posted 24th March 2015) As repeatedly suggested her over the past few weeks has RwandAir now confirmed that they have concluded discussions with Airbus for the delivery of two Airbus A330 models due to join the fleet in the second half of next year. This […]
The Aya’s are back in the headlines and not for a good reason
HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY STAKEHOLDERS POKE FUN AT PROMOTERS OF THE SO CALLED ‘KAMPALA HILTON HOTEL’ (Posted 24th March 2015) The Aya brothers, notorious for promising in 2006 to finish their hotel at a rate of one floor a week ahead of the 2007 Commonwealth Summit and repeatedly afterwards uttering empty promises that the hotel would be […]
Turkish Airlines eyes Juba for later this year
JUBA TO BE AMONG NEWLY PLANNED AFRICA DESTINATIONS FOR TURKISH IN 2015 (Posted 24th March 2015) Inspite of the ongoing conflict in South Sudan has Turkish Airlines restated their intent to add Juba to their growing list of African destinations though no firm startup date has been given as of now. South Sudan presently has […]
Finally some optimism in Kenya…
A news update from Gamewatchers Safaris and Porini Safari Camps Jambo from all of us at Gamewatchers in Nairobi ! As winter comes to an end, for many people now is the time to think about planning an overseas holiday. So we thought you might like to have an update on the news from Kenya […]
No 364 Wildlife Trade News 23rd March 2015
The daily dose of bad news … about poaching, wildlife and environmental crimes in the spotlight today …………………… BOSTWANA CONFERENCE? If you are attending and you see this man there as well, will you please do something useful as well as practical and ask him why CHINA is breaking the CITES convention and the hearts […]
Press Release: Contradictory Emergency Measures to Save Two of Africa’s Iconic Pachyderms—Why?
Another news update from the Conservation Action Trust Contradictory Emergency Measures to Save Two of Africa’s Iconic Pachyderms—Why? Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. OPINION: Contradictory Emergency Measures to Save Two of Africa’s Iconic Pachyderms—Why? By Katarzyna Nowak, A Voice for Elephants, National Geographic March 21, 2015 It’s entirely possible, […]
Seychelles’ hospitality and tourism sector welcomes re-launch of nonstop flights to Paris
SEYCHELLES’ HOSPITALITY&TOURISM ASSOCIATION WELCOMES NONSTOP PARIS FLIGHTS (Posted 23rd March 2015) The Chairman of SHTA, Mr. Freddy Karkaria, last Friday issued a statement on behalf of the Seychelles’ hospitality and tourism private sector vis a vis the announcement by Air Seychelles that the airline was going to resume nonstop flights from Mahe to Paris. Present […]
Kenya Airways set to resume full schedule to Tanzania this week
KENYA AIRWAYS’ ANNOUNCES RESUMPTION OF FULL SCHEDULE TO TANZANIA (Posted 23rd March 2015) Kenya Airways was the most affected airline during the aviation spat between Tanzania and Kenya last week, until the two heads of state on the sidelines of an official visit to Namibia sat down and put an end to the trench warfare […]
Meet the world under one roof at ATM 2015 – Register for free
Coming up in early May in Dubai … Arabian Travel Market 2015 & eTurboNews Meet the world under one roof at ATM 2015 – Register for free Registration for ATM 2015 – Now live! We would like to invite you to to register for Arabian Travel Market 2015 for free. Taking place between 4th – […]
No 363 Wildlife Trade News 22nd March 2015
The daily dose of bad news about poaching, environmental and wildlife crimes … Sarawak targets 1.5 million hectares of totally protected areas. extract: "People do things because they are certain never to be caught. But if they are certain to be caught, that is the deterrent. That involves enforcement. We have to take a firm […]
Reprieve for tourists as exit duty on wood carvings is lifted
ANOTHER U-TURN SAVES TOURISTS HARRASSEMENT OVER PURCHASE OF CARVINGS (Posted 22nd March 2015) It was reported her two weeks ago that Tanzania had introduced an exit duty on wood carvings, raising an immediate storm of protest by carver cooperatives, safari operators, tourism association executives and tourists themselves, who were suddenly faced with having to cough […]
Flights are back on and JKIA access restored as presidents agree to halt the tit for tat spats
PRESIDENTIAL INTERVENTION SAVES THE DAY AS KENYA AIRWAYS RESUMES FULL SCHEDULE INTO TANZANIA (Posted 22nd March 2015) The devastating impact of sanctions by the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority against Kenyan airlines clearly prompted heavy political pressure on Kenya’s top duo and it appears that the lobbying and what essentially amounted to ‘Get this sorted or […]
