Results of Day 1 of the Kenya Airways East African Classic Safari Rally 2015

Kenya’s Cavenagh leads muddy and slippery Day 1 as Porsche 911s sweep top 6 positions RALLYING Two-time Kenya Champion Alastair Cavenagh driving a Porsche 911 took the overnight lead by 2.12 minutes over former world champion Stig Blomqvist as Day 1 of the Kenya Airways EA Classic Rally 2015 came to a dramatic end at […]
Keen on Fishing? Mark your calendar for the Diani Samaki Classic in late December

Diani Samaki Classic Fishing Competition – December 27th 2015(Posted 20th November 2015) The Diani Samaki Classic Fishing Competition will be held on the 27th December 2015 at the Forty Thieves Beach Bar on Diani Beach from 06:30am. There will be a Boat Auction, Sweepstake and Captains briefing on the 26th December 2015 at Forty Thieves […]
Appeal for support from the Mara North Conservancy Chairman Stefano Cheli
Make Space for the Great Migration (c) Michael Poliza Dear Friends, I know that you often get asked for donations for one worthy cause or another, but in this case I make no apology for doing so again. We need your help. For over 30 years, the magical Maasai Mara has been a home from […]
Watamu’s Turtle Bay Beach Club earns global recognition for conservation work

Turtle Bay Beach Club wins World Responsible Tourism Award (Posted 20th November 2015) This correspondent has just concluded a second visit to Watamu in the space of six weeks and was able to interact with key tourism stakeholders on both occasions. This time was it the Watamu Marine Association which came into the spotlight, as […]
Chumbe Island wins sustainable tourism award

Chumbe Island wins Skål International Sustainable Tourism Award in the category Marine and Special Recognition Award by Diversey Care 2015(Posted 20th November 2015) The fourteenth annual Skål Sustainable Tourism Awards took place last month during the Opening Ceremony of the 76th Skål World Congress held in Torremolinos, Spain. The awards were launched to highlight best […]
And one more from Lillian Gaitho, who has clearly been a busy bee this week
Many of us who travel regularly may appreciate the need to pack all the right gadgets, cameras, smart phone, phablet, tablet and laptop AND then add all the right chargers and peripherals to be able to use those things. All hell breaks loose when for instance the transfer cable from a camera was left at […]
Airtel teams up with Facebook to offer more free access to web services
Airtel Africa and Facebook launch Free Basic Services in 17 African countries (Posted 20th November 2015) Free Basic Services will provide access to services like health, educations, jobs, communication and local content, including events and attractions at no additional cost The launch in all markets to be completed by March 2016 Bharti Airtel Africa (www.Airtel.com), […]
And some more news from Kenya, courtesy of Safari Trails …
THE STAGE IS SET FOR THE EAST AFRICAN SAFARI CLASSIC RALLY! The East African Safari Classic Rally, which will take place across Kenya and Tanzania from November 19th to 27th 2015 happens once every two years and is the modern-day event of the original Safari Rally which earned the reputation of the world’s toughest rally. […]
Part two of Lillian’s weekend contributions …

When you see the picture with the red hat popping up, make sure you hang on to your own because Lillian’s contributions often do raise a storm … not today though when her seven tips for effective destination marketing perhaps only rattle the marketers themselves … Seven Tips for Effective Destination Marketing Destination marketing is […]
Lillian’s Friday contribution – well worth reading, as usual …

Why Cities Need to Invest in Urban Tourism “The world’s urban population is expected to grow by 61% by year 2030. This will have a considerable impact on urban tourism” Nairobi City named “Africa’s most intelligent city” – image by CNN According to a report the ITB World Travel Trends Report 2013/14, the volume of […]
Heard of Nesbitt’s Castle in Zimbabwe’s City of the Kings?
If anyone got a taste of visiting Zimbabwe following my series of reports earlier in the year, Nesbitt Castle just put put an astonishing offer for guests intending to stay there … Read on after checking out the link to the article in which Nesbitt Castle is described in some detail. https://atcnews.org/2015/06/22/zimbabwes-tourism-attractions-waiting-to-be-discovered/ The Nesbitt Castle […]
Destination Mombasa – the traffic challenges are mounting

KENYA COAST TOURISM INDUSTRY CONDEMNS TRAFFIC IMPASSE IN THE SHARPEST TERMS (Posted 20th November 2015) Ongoing problems with the ferry services across the Likoni channel from Mombasa island to the southern mainland and massive traffic jams on the Nairobi to Mombasa highway outside Kenya’s port city have once again prompted key tourism stakeholders to issue […]
AKWAABA – just two days away
AKWAABA ANTE PORTAS (Posted 20th November 2015) AKWAABA – West Africa’s premier travel market and tourism trade show, held annually in Lagos, is about to kick off this weekend at the Eko Hotel & Suites on Victoria Island in Lagos.Alongside this year is Africa’s largest street party carnival, Carnival Calabar is unveiling its 2015 theme […]
Another friend gone all too soon

RIP FRANCES LAGOUSSIS NEE COOK – YOU ARE MISSED (Posted 20th November 2015) My one and only attempt to venture into golfing, way back in the mid 1980’s while working as Group Operations Director for the Flamingo Group of Companies in Nairobi, is attributed to Frances’ constant prodding and teases. She was managing the coast […]
Dr. Paula Kahumbu, Kenya’s ‘Elephant Lady’ takes stock of anti poaching campaign results

Since 2013, according to the latest estimates, elephant deaths from poaching in Kenya are down by 80% and deaths of rhinos by 90%. This is a success story that deserves to be more widely known. Kenya was traditionally in the forefront of wildlife conservation in Africa. However, in 2008 the sale of ivory from […]
Friends of Colobus Conservation say Karibu to Kelly and Kwaheri ya Kuonana to Andrea
From the beginning of November there will be a slight change in management at Colobus Conservation. Andrea Donaldson will be taking a one year sabbatical to complete her PhD, returning next year, November 2016. While away Kelly Martin will be the new Conservation Manager at Colobus Conservation, overseeing all the conservation programmes and projects. Kelly […]
More Airbus for Ethiopian? Read on to find out.

ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES UPS AIRBUS A350XWB ORDER (Posted 19th November 2015) Information from Addis Ababa suggests that Ethiopian Airlines will order more of the Airbus A350XWB, though no details are available on the variant the airline might choose. Ethiopian, in a change from their usual order patterns with Boeing – the airline is one of the […]
Emergency? WHAT emergency?

SOCIAL MEDIA RUMOUR MONGERS TURN MINOR TECHNICAL PROBLEMS INTO A FULL BLOWN EMERGENCY (Posted 19th November 2015) A regular aviation source in Nairobi suggested yesterday that rumour mongers on Facebook and Twitter should be prosecuted by the authorities when spreading false information, even by simply retweeting or copying / pasting without having ascertained the facts […]
Santana in concert – Dubai Media City on 26th of February
Sharing a bit of music affection here …
AFRAA’s 47th Annual General Assembly receives praise
Thanks to AFRAA, EC Air and everyone who attended and participated in the 47th General Assembly in Brazzaville. Below we’d like to share briefly the 3 major takeaways from AGA 47. OPEN SKIES Its become clear that African Airlines are eager to move forward on liberalization of the skies. Despite the incomplete implementation of the […]
South African tourism looks ahead into the next decade
One is tempted to say, DO THE SAME AND DON’T SLEEP ON YOUR LAURELS but then we all know better, namely that some tourism boards are wide awake and tuned into the changing market conditions and others lag a decade behind … MINISTER OF TOURISM IN SOUTH AFRICA, OUTLINES NEXT DECADE OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE […]
Court ruling blow for Fly Africa as AOC remains suspended over safety concerns

FLY AFRICA – ZIMBABWE COURT EXPOSES SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERNS (Posted 18th November 2015) Fly Africa’s management must be in panic mode now that a court in Harare made public what has been whispered behind closed doors and in the corridors of the country’s aviation industry: Serious safety concerns need to be addressed first before the […]
New offices, new logo and new website – the Seychelles Hospitality and Tourism Association clearly is on the move

SEYCHELLES HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM ASSOCIATION – NEW LOGO, NEW OFFICES, NEW WEBSITE (Posted 18th November 2015) Seychelles’ tourism private sector apex body, the Seychelles Hospitality and Tourism Association, is ending the year 2015 on a high note. The organization completed a move into their new offices, provided by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture in […]
Turkish Airlines – intent to become the largest connector into Africa

TURKISH AIRLINES EYES VANILLA ISLANDS MADAGASCAR AND SEYCHELLES (Posted 18th November 2015) When Dr. Kotil, CEO of Turkish Airlines, spoke to the delegates of the recently ended Africa Travel Association Congress in Nairobi, were many of the less informed in the audience surprised to hear that the airline is already the one with the widest […]
Reunion returns to the Geneva Saloon
The Island of Reunion exhibits at the Holidays Geneva Show The 21st edition of the fair Holiday Geneva took place from 13th to 15th November and this year, for the first time, the event was thrown open to the general public. The Geneva Holiday Saloon was also this year integrated with Automnales, the annual fair […]
Enjoy a beach break at Kenya’s best hotel
Having just spent two nights again at the Medina Palms, andenjoyed the fantastic food – especially last night’s beach side BBQ, this just has to go on my blog … No Images? Click here ? ? Sun and tranquillity await! Longing to escape to a sunny paradise? Medina Palms is located in the picturesque coastal […]
Tourism businesses and the media – an often difficult co-existence
Media and tourism stakeholders gather in Tunisia to discuss how to enhance cooperation (Posted 17th November 2015) More than 300 participants convened in Tunis for the 4th UNWTO International Conference on ‘Tourism and the Media’. The event, held in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism and Handicrafts of Tunisia, also enjoyed the support of CNN […]
Planning to be at OTM Mumbai? Undecided? Cost Conscious? Read on …

Dear eTN Reader, Would you like to exhibit free of charge at the eTN Pavilion at the largest trade show in India. OTM Mumbai 18-20 February, 2016 http://www.otm.co.in/ It’s free for qualified eTN Readers Your free package includes a table, two chairs room to display your posters, brochures. If you don’t have a chance to […]
Two weeks and counting before one of Kenya’s great fishing resorts reopens

HEMINGWAYS WATAMU CONFIRMS DECEMBER 01ST REOPENING DATE (Posted 17th November 2015) One of Kenya’s best known big game fishing resorts at the coast, Hemingways Watamu, will reopen on schedule on the 01st of December, after completing part one of a two part major refurbishment, modernization and rebuilding exercise. The resort closed in April not long […]
Kenya commits to destroying the entire ivory stockpile

KENYA CONFIRMS POLITICAL WILL TO DESTROY ITS ENTIRE IVORY STOCK (Posted 17th November 2015) While still in Kenya has word reached this correspondent that the Chairman of Kenya Wildlife Service, Dr. Richard Leakey, confirmed the country’s intent to destroy all the remaining ivory stocks, following a burning ceremony earlier in the year by President Kenyatta. […]