High Court halts another airport concession
KAA’S CONCESSION AGREEMENTS REMAIN DOGGED BY CONTROVERSY (Posted 03rd January 2015) The High Court in Nairobi has halted the award of yet another concession agreement, this time for the provision of fast food services at the new Terminal 1A. Once again has an unsuccessful company taken their grievance and disappointment to court, promptly described as […]
Park Hyatt Zanzibar – a new 5 star resort hotel
PARK HYATT ZANZIBAR SET FOR MARCH OPENING (Posted 03rd January 2015) The 67 rooms and suites Park Hyatt Zanzibar will very likely be open by March this year, bringing another 5 star branded resort hotel to the island of Unguja. Located directly at the beach in the Shangani area of the island will the new […]
Big, bigger, Selous … the world’s largest game reserve
BIG GAME – BIG WILDERNESS – BIG RIVER MAKE THE MAGIC OF THE SELOUS (Posted 03rd January 2015) When the phone in the tent rang just minutes before the time for the afternoon game-drive, I knew in advance what the conversation would be about. Not long after arriving at the Selous Luxury Camp of Serena […]
New Year’s Day Cessna crash has lucky ending
PILOT ESCAPES EMERGENCY LANDING WITHOUT INJURIES (Posted 02nd January 2015) The pilot of a Cessna C206F Stationair had a lucky escape, when, after making an emergency landing in a maizefield near Kamengo, Mpigi District, the aircraft overturned and came to a halt upside down. The plane, registration number 5X-WTA, was enroute from the Mweya airstrip […]
Happy New Year from Reunion
REUNION – READY FOR 2015 (Posted 01st January 2015) Reunion asked the right question to their French compatriots on the European mainland yesterday evening: ‘What if you spent celebrating New Year three hours ahead of anyone else? It takes no time machine but only a flight to Reunion …’ not even rubbing in the summer […]
More trouble for Air Tanzania as pilots fail to report to work
AIR TANZANIA PILOTS FAIL TO REPORT ON DUTY STRANDING HUNDREDS (Posted 01st January 2015) Reports from Dar es Salaam claim that a number of pilots of Air Tanzania, the ailing national airline, have failed over the past few days to turn up for duty, leaving aircraft on the ground and several hundred passengers stranded. The […]
Seychelles narrowly beat 2014 arrivals to set new visitor record
ANOTHER ARRIVAL RECORD SET AS THE CLOCK STRIKES MIDNIGHT IN VICTORIA (Posted 01st January 2015) The Seychelles, founder member and key driver of the Vanilla Island organization, has done it again. An unbroken streak of setting new arrival records since 2009 has been maintained, narrowly though going by reports coming in from the capital Victoria. […]
Northern Corridor Cooperation paves way for new flights
RWANDAIR SET TO LAUNCH NEW FLIGHTS OUT OF ENTEBBE (Posted 01st January 2015) RwandAir will be delighted with the outcome of a last minute MoU signed yesterday in Kampala between Uganda, South Sudan and Rwanda, which paved the way for the airline operationalizing 5th freedom rights on the route from Entebbe via Nairobi to Juba […]
No 307 Wildlife Trade News 31st December 2014
No Happy New Year for the world’s wildlife, forests and oceans … the final dose of bad news of 2014 Please note: For newsletter subscription and circulation details see message at the end of this newsletter. in the spotlight today …………………… Zimbabwe: Jumbo Population Down 40 Percent http://allafrica.com/stories/201412300559.html Experts in Zimbabwe claim the elephant population […]
Six confirmed dead after an Antonov 26 crashes in Eastern Congo
CONGO CRASH IN UVIRA MOUNTAINS CLAIMS 6 LIVES (Posted 31st December 2014) Grapevine rumours, that an Antonov 26, reportedly belonging to Air Sirin, crashed in the Uvira Mountains in Eastern Congo, proved correct when late yesterday confirmation was received from an aviation source in Goma. The aircraft, with at least 6 onboard, including crew, had […]
Nairobi’s hotel sector remains vibrant
LOCAL HOTEL GROUP ANNOUNCES EXPANSION IN NAIROBI (Posted 31st December 2014) The hospitality market in Nairobi remains vibrant, inspite of the challenges the country is facing with lower tourism arrivals. First out of the starting blocks in 2015, probably as early as Easter, will be the new Radisson Blu by Carlson Rezidor but other hotels […]
ICAO’s finally publishes GAP Analysis on UCAA audit
ICAO REPORT EXPOSES UGANDA’S CIVIL AVIATION FAILURES (Posted 31st December 2014) Four pages of urgent recommendations by ICAO, the International Civil Aviation Organization, dominated by the words ‘Inconsistent’, ‘Inefficient’ and ‘Insufficient’ finally tell the story of just how badly the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority performed in the audit on their operations earlier this year. It […]
No 306 Wildlife Trade News 30th December 2014
The penultimate dose of bad news of 2014 about poaching, wildlife and environmental crimes in the spotlight today …………………… PRESS STATEMENT: Ten Years After the Tsunami, Aceh Faces New “Development Disasters” : SUMATRA http://endoftheicons.org/2014/12/30/press-statement-ten-years-after-the-tsunami-aceh-faces-new-development-disasters/ No 306 Wildlife Trade News 30th December 2014 SHAME ON ZIMBABWE, UAE, FRANCE AND CHINA for stealing baby elephants from their […]
New Year’s fireworks restricted to just 5 minutes in Kampala
FIVE MINUTES AND NOT A SECOND LONGER AS UGANDA’S COPS DOUSE FIREWORKS FUN (Posted 30th December 2014) Information is emerging through local media channels that fans of New Year fireworks will have all but five minutes, come midnight of the 31st of December, to enjoy, admire and photograph Kampala’s fireworks before the fun will be […]
No 305 Wildlife Trade News 29th December 2014
The daily dose of bad news from around the world about poaching, wildlife and environmental crimes in the spotlight today …………………… Every child born from now on is at risk of never seeing an elephant or a rhino in the wild. Richard Branson No 305 Wildlife Trade News 29th December 2014 ZIMBABWE ELEPHANT DEAL STILL […]
Keen to kayak the upper Nile? Join the Nile River Festival 2015
NILE RIVER FESTIVAL – A WEEKEND OF ADVENTURES (Posted 29th December 2014) The 2015 Nile River Festival in Jinja, aka East Africa’s Adventure Capital, is taking place between the 22nd and 25th of January. This is a sporting festival dedicated to kayaking the upper Nile Valley, which in recent years has prominence as an ideal […]
Mombasa to host #MKTE2015
2015 MAGICAL KENYA TRAVEL EXPO MOVES TO MOMBASA (Posted 29th December 2014) Reactions were swift in welcoming the decision by the Kenya Tourist Board when Muriithi Ndegwa, the CEO of KTB, made the announcement that the 2015 edition of the Magical Kenya Travel Expo will be held in the coastal city of Mombasa. Already during […]
Happy New Year From Ewaso Lions
New Year’s greetings from Ewaso Lions December 2014 As 2014 comes to a close, we feel very thankful for your support this past year. We wish you a very happy New Year! Warm greetings, The Ewaso Lions Team www.EwasoLions.org » CLICK HERE TO DONATE Copyright © 2014 Ewaso Lions Kenya: PO Box 14996, Nairobi 00800, […]
Lamu Tourism looking at swift recovery now that the curfew has been ditched
LAMU ISLAND CURFEW DITCHED BY NEWLY SWORN IN CABINET SECRETARY (Posted 28th December 2014) Lamu’s tourism industry breathed a combined sigh of relief, when news broke just before Christmas that the newly appointed Cabinet Secretary for the Interior, Major General (Rtd) Joseph Nkaissery had lifted the curfew for the island itself, though maintaining it for […]
More secure online transactions facilitated by new 3G Direct Pay / Payoneer partnership
3G DIRECT PAY LAUNCHES NEW ‘PAYONEER MASTERCARD’ IN KENYA (Posted 28th December 2014) One of Kenya’s pioneers for secure online payments, 3G Direct Pay, has now extended their services with the launch of a ‘Payoneer Mastercard’ for affiliated merchants in the region. The card’s main advantage for companies such as hotels or restaurants, when accepting […]
No 304 Wildlife Trade News 27th December 2014
The daily dose of bad news about poaching, wildlife and environmental crimes from around the world in the spotlight today …………………… Zimbabwe to export elephants to curb population. (Published in Zimbabwe): extract: "Zimbabwe got allocations from CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) to export elephants to suitable destinations and one of the destinations […]
Mauritius’ new Deputy Prime Minister take on Tourism porfolio, signalling top priority for the sector
NEW MINISTER FOR TOURISM APPOINTED IN MAURITIUS (Posted 27th December 2014) Hopes among the tourism and hospitality businesses on Mauritius are high, that a fundamental change in their sector is now underway, as a new government has taken office and a new tourism minister been appointed. The former office holder Michael Sik Yuen, who lost […]
TAZARA trains to cross the border to Zambia again after Tanzania lifts restrictions
TAZARA SET TO RESUME CROSS BORDER OPERATIONS (Posted 27th December 2014) On Tuesday 30th of December, in time for the New Year’s travel rush, will TAZARA, the Tanzania Zambia Railway, finally resume operations of cross border trains. A spat between the two railway operators in Zambia and Tanzania over operational issues led to the suspension […]
Seychelles’ Aldabra Atoll is well managed says IUCN
IUCN GIVES ALDABRA MANAGEMENT THE THUMBS UP (Posted 27th December 2014) The International Union for the Conservation of Nature has in its inaugural ranking of UNESCO World Heritage Sites given the two sites in the Seychelles, the Valle de Mai on the second largest island of Praslin, and the distant Aldabra Atoll, a sound thumbs […]
No 303 Wildlife Trade News 26th December 2014
No reprieve for wildlife even over the holidays … another daily dose of bad news … Please note: For newsletter subscription and circulation details see message at the end of this newsletter. in the spotlight today …………………… Zimbabwe exports elephants in population curb. (NA comment: This has nothing to do with overpopulation of elephants and […]
No terror link in Mombasa shooting
BELGIAN NATIONAL SHOT IN MOMBASA (Posted 26th December 2014) News are only now slowly emerging in the Kenyan and international media, which appear to have kept the story under wraps for the Christmas holiday, that a Belgian national got shot in an apparent mugging or robbery attempt. The victim, according to some of the reports […]
Reunion extends Season’s Greetings
MORE GOOD NEWS FROM REUNION AS 2014 COMES TO AN END (Posted 26th December 2014) Reunion is clearly trending as a destination and the forecast for 2015 is no different. SkyScanner.com has ‘tested’ the markets and used data compiled since 2013 and a trip to Reunion is ranking as number 7 of the dream destinations […]
New airlines open new opportunities
FLYDUBAI’S EXPANSION OFFERS EAST AFRICAN PASSENGERS CONNECTIONS TO 82 DESTINATIONS (Posted 26th December 2014) The arrival of ‘flydubai’ in East Africa during October and November, since then serving Entebbe, Bujumbura, Kigali, Kilimanjaro, Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar, has, besides boosting tourism and trade for regional businesses, also opened up a whole new range of destinations […]
New ferry expected to ease transport bottleneck
SECOND FERRY DELIVERY ‘BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT’ FOR ISLANDERS (Posted 25th December 2014) Kalangala Infrastructure Services, the company developing infrastructure and transport services on Bugala Island under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) with the Government of Uganda, yesterday delivered the second ferry that will provide marine transportation services between Bukakata in Masaka and the Luuku landing […]
Young African footballers get a massive Christmas surprise from Qatar Airways
IT IS A CHRISTMAS OF GETTING AND GIVING AT QATAR AIRWAYS (Posted 25th December 2014) Hamad International Airport yesterday was a beehive of activity, as national airline Qatar Airways made history by receiving the first ever commercial delivery of the Airbus A350XWB. This latest ‘bird’ will bring with it the latest technology in light weight […]
