Diani based Baobab Resort captures German quality award
BAOBAB RESORT CLINCHES AWARD (Posted 23rd January 2015) Baobab Beach Resort and Spa yesterday announced that they have been awarded the prestigious ‘HolidayCheck Award 2015’. The award, according to additional information received, is based on feedback from over 1 million reviews and includes several core criteria, including a recommendation rate of over 90% and a […]
Another major airline moves into JKIA’s new Terminal 1A
KLM MOVES TO TERMINAL 1A (Posted 23rd January 2015) KLM has completed their move from the former Unit 2, now Terminal 1C to the brand new Terminal 1A, following partner airline Kenya Airways which had started the migration last year and progressively shifted all their regional and international departures to their new ‘home’. The switchover […]
Ol Pejeta The best 14 moments of 2014
Enjoy those golden 14 moments of 2014 from the Ol Pejeta Conservancy view online | send to a friend | visit Ol Pejeta January 2015 Dear Friend of Ol Pejeta: Your support over the last year has been incredible. We thought we’d take this opportunity to pick 14 of our top moments from 2014 to […]
UNWTO links African tourism businesses with potential investors at FITUR
UNWTO set to host INVESTOUR at the 2015 edition of FITUR in Madrid Now in its sixth consecutive year, the Tourism Investment and Business Forum for Africa (INVESTOUR), to be held next week at the International Tourism Fair (FITUR), will bring together a record number of African tourism projects, potential investors and business partners, opening […]
UNWTO uses FITUR to honour the 2015 Ulysses Award Winners
UNWTO Awards to recognize innovation and excellence in tourism Tourism initiatives and scholars from around the world will once again be recognized for their outstanding contribution to the sector at the UNWTO Awards Ceremony to be held at the International Tourism Trade Fair (FITUR) in Madrid, Spain, on 28 January 2015. Since 2003, the UNWTO […]
How much are airline rankings worth?
WWW.AIRLINERATINGS.COM GIVES RWANDAIR THE THUMBS UP … BUT … (Posted 22nd January 2015) While RwandAir welcomed news that Australian aviation site www.airlineratings.com gave the an overall thumbs up rating with 5 out of a possible 7 has the airline also swiftly pointed out that the site has failed to appreciate a number of factors Presently […]
Valentine’s Day – big business for hotels and restaurants in Uganda
LOVE WILL BE IN THE AIR ON VALENTINE’S WEEKEND (Posted 22nd January 2015) First out of the starting blocks to promote this year’s Valentine’s weekend – the 14th of February falls on a Saturday making it a perfect weekend event – was as usual the Sheraton Kampala Hotel, where the regular programme of food and […]
Another guest post by Lillian Gaitho who shares some interesting data on booking trends
Lillian Gaitho gives an overview of booking trends in Kenya and what people are looking for when booking a trip. Our survey reveals surprising facts and figures about what Kenyan travellers look for when they book a hotel. Having a Swimming Pool is increasingly important for the Kenyan traveller, 42 % of them prefer hotels […]
Reunion back on the European marketing trail
LUXEMBURG LOOKS AT REUNION (Posted 22nd January 2015) Vanilla Islands’ founder member Reunion just wrapped up another successful attendance at Luxemburg’s ‘Vakanz’, the Duchy’s primary international tourism fair. The Reunion stand was organized by Ile de la Reunion Tourisme, in short IRT and also present were home airline Air Austral and the Saint Alexis Hotel […]
Kunene Rhino Deaths: Symptomatic of Namibia’s bigger problem
News updates from the Conservation Action Trust Kunene Rhino Deaths: Symptomatic of Namibia’s bigger problem Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Kunene rhino deaths: Symptomatic of Namibia’s bigger problem Daily Maverick | 20 JANUARY, 2015 | John Grobler | Please republish The Save the Rhino Trust (SRT) has launched an […]
Airlines brace for JKIA operational hours to reduce from 24 to 18
JKIA RUNWAY REPAIRS EXPECTED TO ADD TO CONGESTION (Posted 21st January 2015) ‘The omissions of the past have come home to roost’ said a regular aviation source from JKIA a short while ago when confirming that come April will the single runway of East Africa’s busiest international airport be closed for 6 hours every night. […]
Pope Francis will visit to Uganda this year
VATICAN CONFIRMS PAPAL VISIT TO UGANDA (Posted 21st January 2015) Uganda is preparing for a record third visit of a Pope after sources close to the Catholic church in the country have confirmed yesterday that a Papal visit was finally on the cards for 2015. Local tourism stakeholders were swift to express their hope that […]
KAA builds new school to allow for Ukunda runway extension
UKUNDA AERODROME TO GET RUNWAY EXTENSION (Posted 21st January 2015) Tourism infrastructure at the Kenya coast, south of Mombasa, will get a major boost when the upcoming expansion of the Ukunda aerodrome is completed. Ukunda has for long served as Diani Beach’s primary airfield from which tourists take off every morning for air safaris to […]
Serena Hotels – January Enewsletter
Monthly news from Serena Hotels Having any problems seeing this newsletter? View it in your browser January News: New Year Highlights Jogging Track at Lake Elmenteita Serena Camp Tent at Kirawira Serena Camp Recurve Target Archery Range at Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge A Must Try, New and Fun Activities 2015 Lake Elmenteita Serena Camp […]
Ol Pejeta does it again – leading from the front
OL PEJETA LAUNCHES ONLINE BOOKINGS (Posted 21st January 2015) Always as the cutting edge of innovation and the use of new technologies has Kenya’s most popular conservancy just launched new e-tools allowing visitors to pre-book, online, services on offer. This includes but is not restricted to lion tracking, night game drives and perhaps most important, […]
Fuel prices stay high as Ugandan’s learn that global economic principles may not apply to them
NO REPRIEVE FOR UGANDANS AS FUEL PRICES REMAIN HIGH (Posted 20th January 2015) While everywhere in the East African region do lower crude oil prices translate into lower prices at the pumps, this does not seem to be happening in Uganda. The broad economic factors across East Africa are by and large the same and […]
Air Arabia eyes new destinations in China
AIR ARABIA SET TO LAUNCH FLIGHTS TO CHINA (Posted 20th January 2015) Air Arabia, the Sharjah based low cost carrier serving Nairobi with daily flights, has yesterday announced that they will begin flying to China in a major new widening of their network. Their first Chinese destination, more are probably going to follow soon, will […]
There comes a point when even good news are taken with a grain of salt …
BRITAIN WAVES AIRSIDE TRANSIT VISA FOR UGANDANS AFTER EXODUS BY TRAVELERS (Posted 19th January 2015) Britain appears to have finally responded to counter the trend by Ugandan travelers destined for Canada, the United States and other third countries, to avoid flying via Heathrow and evade the need to pay for a transit Visa. Many travel […]
50 professional years and counting as Derek Houston goes from strength to strength
A GOLDEN JUBILEE OF DISTINGUISHED SERVICE TO AFRICA’S TOURISM INDUSTRY (Posted 19th January 2015) Reaching the half century milestone in any career in this day and age is no mean achievement and staying in the same industry for a full 50 years is almost unheard of. Yet, Derek Houston of Houston Marketing accomplished this almost […]
Another guest post from Lillian Gaitho
Lillian has started the new week hitting the ground running with her latest travel feature: The Five Under-Explored Must Visit African Destinations This Year. Enjoy reading but better, enjoy travelling there .. . Whether for a luxurious dip in Africa’s pristine beaches, an “only-in-Africa” Game Safari or an out-of-the-world star-gazing night in the darkness of […]
It is Hakuna Matata as Maulid festival ends in Lamu
LAMU TOURISM BENEFITS FROM MAULID FESTIVAL (Posted 19th January 2015) This year’s Maulid Festival, which celebrates the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed, brought a significant rise in visitor arrivals to Lamu. Following the lifting of the curfew for Lamu town and Shela Beach by the recently appointed new Inspector General of Police in Kenya – […]
Kempinski, the first of the big league hospitality names, comes to Kigali
DES MILLE COLLINES – A JOURNEY UP AND DOWN HISTORY LANE (Posted 19th January 2015) ‘And no matter where you stay in Kigali, there simply is no better place to see the city and the surrounding hills than from the Panorama Restaurant of the Des Mille Collines. You get a great view during the day […]
Does Desvaux’s return to MTPA signal the end of Mootoosamy’s reign?
DESVAUX’S RETURN TO MTPA PUSHES MOOTOOSAMY TO THE ROPES (Posted 19th January 2015) Robert Desvaux has triumphantly returned to the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority as the organization’s chairman, following his appointment by the Mauritius’ government’s Council of Ministers, aka cabinet. On January 07th, when the rumours began to emerge about his possible return to MTPA, […]
Tanga blast NOT thought to be terror related
TANGA BLAST SHOWS THAT TANZANIAN AUTHORITIES HAVE IGNORED THREATS (Posted 19th January 2015) ‘The problem with explosives used for dynamite fishing has been growing and growing. It is not new but authorities have turned a blind eye on the problem. Those syndicates are well connected and must have pulled strings behind the scenes to be […]
It is all about doing things ‘online’ when 3G Directpay comes to Zanzibar next week
3G DIRECT PAY SET FOR ZANZIBAR WORKSHOP (Posted 19th January 2015) Online Payments? Online Marketing? Booking engines? Fraud prevention? 3G Direct Pay will cover it all in a half day workshop for the Zanzibar tourism industry when next Tuesday, January 20th they come to the Spice Island. The Zanzibar Grand Palace Hotel is the venue […]
Kenya – Tanzania dispute on cross border transfers ‘not helpful’
NO INSTANT RESOLUTION TO ONGOING TIT FOR TAT SPAT BETWEEN NEIGHBOURS (Posted 17th January 2015) The hastily arranged meeting of the two ministers responsible for tourism of Kenya and Tanzania, aimed to discuss and resolve the denial of access of Tanzanian registered commercial vehicles, such as safari 4×4’s and transfer busses to Jomo Kenyatta International […]
RwandAir finally gets approval from Kenya to launch Entebbe – Nairobi flights
RWANDAIR SETS NEW DATE FOR NAIROBI FLIGHTS (Posted 17th January 2015) RwandAir’s General Manager Commercial, Mr. Mikael Gobena, yesterday afternoon confirmed that the long awaited flights between Entebbe and Nairobi, under fifth freedom licence from the Ugandan CAA, will now finally commence on the 29th of January. The airline had wanted to operate on the […]
Bring and use your drone at your own risk in Kenya
VISITORS ARE WARNED NOT TO BRING OR FLY THEIR DRONES IN KENYA (Posted 17th January 2015) An Austrian tourist got nabbed recently at the Amboseli National Park, when he was flying a drone, aka UAV, ostensibly to take pictures from an elevated location to include in his holiday picture and video album. Little did he […]
New travel show aims to open new horizons
THE ‘AFRICA TRAVEL SHOW 2015’ SET FOR EARLY MARCH IN NAIROBI (Posted 17th January 2015) The Oshwal Centre in Nairobi’s second business hub of Westlands will provide the setting for the inaugural ‘Africa Travel Show’ which is due to take place between the 04th and 08th of March this year. The exhibition is timed perfectly […]
Making travel easier and less stressful – check what Amadeus has to say!
Here comes one of the periodic guest posts I show on my blog, and, as travel begins in earnest again the advice and insights by Amadeus will hopefully help here and there to be better prepared when travelling on business, or leisure. 1. What devices does today’s traveler carry? We can break this down by […]
