‘Pay to Stay’ now available for Kenya Airways’s premium lounges
KENYA AIRWAYS OPENS LOUNGES IN ‘PAY TO STAY’ INITIATIVE (Posted 12th September 2015) Kenya Airways has with immediate effect changed the rules to access their premier lounges at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Entitled travelers now have the option to bring a paying guest along to wait for their flight departure, as long as certain conditionalities […]
Celebrating Reunion’s natural beauty with new exhibition dedicated to the interior of the island
REUNION CELEBRATES HER NATURAL BEAUTY AS UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE TURNS 5 (Posted 11th September 2015) It is five years this week that UNESCO recognized the rugged magnificence of Reunion’s interior and enscribed the area, a national park under French law, as a site of exceptional natural beauty and biodiversity hotspot, one of less than […]
Kenya’s middle segment in the hospitality industry set for major growth
KENYA HOTELGROUP ‘PRIDE INN’ SHOWS MARKET CONFIDENCE WITH BIG BUCKS INVESTMENT (Posted 11th September 2015) One of Kenya’s emerging home grown hotel brands, the three star ranked Pride Inn group, clearly has confidence in the country’s tourism future as it announced a 3.2 billion Kenya Shillings investment package yesterday. The company has a hotel operating […]
The Likoni ferry crossing, one of Mombasa’s eternal traffic bottlenecks
MOMBASA COMMUTERS BRACE FOR FRESH FERRY DELAYS (Posted 11th September 2015) The announcement yesterday by the Kenya Ferry Services that one of the big four ferries will be withdrawn for at least a month for maintenance – in the past were such timeframes often substantially overdrawn – has sent shivers down the spines of regular […]
New airport set to open up Kenya’s north
ISIOLO’S NEW AIRPORT – A SPRINGBOARD TO KENYA’S NORTH (Posted 11th September 2015) Progress is reported from one of Kenya’s new aviation facilities, the Isiolo Airport, long seen as a sort of a white elephant but coming into its own now. Tourists flying to some of the northern parks and game reserves near Isiolo have […]
Global tourism movements continue to grow in 2015 too
The latest UNWTO report, released just before the organization’s bi-annual global assembly in Medellin / Colombia, shows sustained growth in travel even for 2015, when several negative factors could have impacted on the rise in travelers numbers. Sadly does Africa buck the upwards trend with a reported downturn by 6 percent of arrivals into the […]
President Kenyatta’s intervention restores Visa on arrival facility for Kenya
KENYA’S PRESIDENT UHURU KENYATTA EXTENDS VISA ON ARRIVAL FACILITY (Posted 11th September 2015) Relentless lobbying by Kenya’s tourism industry and equally relentless digs by the travel media over Kenya’s decision to only permit online e-Visa applications have yesterday shown the best result yet when President Uhuru Kenyatta announced that the parallel system of on arrival […]
Last call to attend ATA’s 10th Presidential Forum in New York on September 24th
WHO’S ATTENDING: ATA’s 10th Annual Presidential Forum on Tourism September 24, 2015 View this email in your browser ATA’s 10th Annual Presidential Forum on Tourism takes place on Thursday, September 24, 2015 on the occasion of the United Nations General Assembly meetings. This high-profile event, which is co-hosted by New York University-Africa House, brings together […]
Ol Pejeta launches new state of the art website
The Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Nanyuki has often been described by me as the most complete wilderness experience one can have just three hours by road from the capital Nairobi. The big five, the largest number of Eastern Black rhinos, the home of the last surviving Northern White rhinos in the wild, lion tracking, a […]
Just days to go to the close of helping your airline of choice to be nominated for the Airline Oscars
If you have trouble viewing this email, read the online version. Time is running out. Submit your nominations now for the airline industry’s premier awards event! The ATW Airline Industry Achievement Awards program was established in 1974 to recognize excellence in the air transport industry. They are seen across the industry as the most coveted […]
Combining the Oktoberfest with the Smart Airports Conference? Now there is a thought!
4 weeks to go. Register now for SMART Airports Conferences 2015 Forward to a friend View in your browser 4 weeks to go Register now for SMART Airports Conferences 2015 BOOK NOW Limited spaces available IATA expert opinion piece: Jurgen Renner, IATA Consulting’s leading expert for airport development will be presenting on Day 2, Airport […]
Electricity for Ssese’s largest island seen as game changer for hospitality businesses
UGANDA GETS FIRST HYBRID SOLAR POWER STATION ON MAIN SSESE ISLAND OF BUGALA (Posted 10th September 2015) Residents on Bugala Island can now officially enjoy unlimited power supply following the launch of a hybrid solar thermal power plant constructed by Kalangala Infrastructure Services, in short called KIS. The company was contracted by the government of […]
Seychelles’ Tourism Minister at IIPT Peace Park dedication in Medellin
Seychelles Tourism Minister St.Ange amongst chosen Tourism Personalities to mark IIPT International Peace Park in Colombia (Posted 10th September 2015) The University Gardens at the University of Medellin has been selected as the site for the IIPT (International Institute for Peace through Tourism) International Peace Park commemorating the UNWTO 21st General Assembly. The Peace Park […]
Voting for the Safari’awards continues – Vote and Win
Dear Reader, To be in with a chance of winning a luxury safari holiday in 2016, you are invited to vote for your favourite safari lodge/camp/conservation organisation in the 2016 Safari Awards. Nominations close on Friday 11th September 2015, but you can still vote for nominees until Saturday 26th September 2015. All nominators and voters […]
Change at the helm of the tourism and conservation department in Rwanda
RDB’S AMB. YAMINA KARITANYI RETURNS TO DIPLOMATIC SERVICE TO HEAD UK MISSION (Posted 10th September 2015) (RDB’s Chief Tourism Chair has just become vacant) After just completing a successful 11th edition of Rwanda’s tourism and conservation showcase event, Kwita Izina, and meeting this correspondent yesterday morning at her office in Kigali on the 03rd floor […]
Aircraft number 11 joins the fleet of Tanzania’s airline with the widest scheduled network
AURIC AIR ADDS 11TH CESSNA C208B GRAND CARAVAN EX TO FLEET (Posted 10th September 2015) Auric Air, Tanzania’s safari and business airline with the widest scheduled network across the country, some 30 destinations overall, yesterday announced the arrival of yet another Cessna C208B Grand Caravan EX. This is the 11th such plane, all acquired from […]
The future of travel is marked by massive change … are you ready for it? Get tech savvy for the best deals!
Amadeus East Africa’s latest news update NEWS: Amadeus and ZanAir sign agreement ZanAir, a domestic airline based in Zanzibar, Tanzania commenced operations in 1992. The airline flies to 7 destinations with a fleet size of 6. ZanAir recently signed an agreement and will be distributed with Amadeus, currently the only GDS to distribute them. We […]
Two record breaking months in a row make this African LCC an airline to reckon with
ANOTHER RECORD MONTH FOR FASTJET (Posted 10th September 2015) Fastjet uplifted a record number of passengers during the month of August out of Dar es Salaam with 76.741 passengers boarding either domestic flights or services to other African countries. The figure constitutes a loadfactor of 75 percent, also less than the previous month by about […]
Updated news from the Conservation Action Trust
Driven hunts: NSPCA gains warrant to farms where ‘barbaric slaughter’ is executed 7th September 2015 | News24 | Louzel Lombard | Cape Town – Following an exposé on the investigate journalism television series Carte Blanche, animal activists from across South Africa have expressed their disgust with the practice of driven hunts, comparing the brutal killing to that of the Dolphin […]
Investments in equipment and staff training pays off handsomely
SWISSPORT PROFITS SOAR (Posted 09th September 2015) Increased competition notwithstanding has Swissport Tanzania, on the back of a strong overall performance of the aviation industry, just seen the company’s half year profits soar by over 40 percent. In real terms was Swissport’s profit for the half year just short of 7 billion Tanzania Shillings, up […]
Save the Elephants News
web version | tell a friend | donate Kenya’s Ivory Kingpin Denied Bail Again The rollercoaster courtroom drama of Kenyan ivory kingpin Feisal Ali Mohammed continues. Following his arrest in late 2014 for smuggling 2 tonnes of ivory, last month he was once again granted bail. Amid widespread outrage prosecutors appealed successfully and he remains […]
Africans for Africa – a noble concept but in reality a hurdle race littered with obstacles
IKECHI UKO’S THOUGHTS ON PAN AFRICAN TOURISM COOPERATION (Posted 08th September 2015) When Ikechi Uko travels across Africa, no doubt are the red carpets rolled out, the appointment calendars of ministers and tourism industry leaders cleared and teams assembled to listen to his advice and guidance, him being one of the foremost Pan Africanists of […]
Breaking news as RwandAir signs for two A330 AND confirms order for two B737-800’s
RWANDAIR SIGNS FOR TWO A330 AND ANNOUNCES FIRM ORDER FOR TWO MORE B737-800NG’S (Posted 08th September 2015) (Done Deal! RwandAir CEO John Mirenge shakes hands with Airbus and Rolls Royce representatives after signing the purchase deal for two Airbus A330’s) RwandAir today signed the formal documents for the purchase of two Airbus A330 aircraft, one […]
Air Seychelles announces Entebbe as a codeshare destination
AIR SEYCHELLES ‘SURPRISES’ UGANDAN MARKET WITH CODESHARE FLIGHT VIA ABU DHABI (Posted 08th September 2015) The announcement by Air Seychelles that the airline had signed a codeshare deal with partner Etihad to connect Mahe with Entebbe, via Abu Dhabi, went down like a lead balloon with several travel agents polled by this correspondent. Mr. Roy […]
e-Tourism Frontiers announces dates for 5th Nairobi conference.
FIFTH E-TOURISM EAST AFRICA CONFERENCE TO SHOWCASE THE LATEST ONLINE TRAVEL TRENDS (Posted 08th September 2015) The fifth e-Tourism East Africa Conference was launched earlier today during a media briefing in Nariobi. The two-day conference will take place on the 5th and 6th of October at the InterContinental Hotel in Nairobi. The conference is expected […]
FlyDubai cuts 30 percent on fares for special promotion
(Posted 08th September 2015) flydubai (http://www.flydubai.com today launched its first network-wide sale offering customers 30% off Business and Economy Class fares to Dubai and select destinations beyond (#flydubaiSale). Customers who plan to travel between 01st of October 2015 and 30th of June 2016 and who book before the 20th of September will receive a staggering […]
Rwanda – an African success story
NEW HOTELS SET TO CHANGE THE FACE OF KIGALI’S HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY (Posted 08th September 2015) (Billboard outside the site of the hotel) The hospitality deck of cards in Kigali, Rwanda’s capital city, is set to be substantially shuffled in 2016, when at least two new internationally branded hotels are expected to open their doors, both […]
IIPT News ahead of the UNWTO General Assembly in Medellin / Colombia
September 2015 Edition University of Medellin to be site of IIPT International Peace Park for UNWTO General Assembly The University Gardens at the University of Medellin has been selected as the site for the IIPT International Peace Park commemorating the UNWTO 21st General Assembly. The Peace Park will be dedicated from 1:00 to 2:00 PM […]
President Kagame’s Kwita Izina address in local vernacular transcribed into English
PRESIDENT PAUL KAGAME’S KWITA IZINA SPEECH (Posted 08th September 2015) Remarks by President Paul Kagame at the 11th KWITA IZINA Kinigi, 5 September 2015 I would like to thank you all for being part of this naming ceremony for baby gorillas. I would also like to congratulate the organizers of this event, namely RDB and […]
How best to embrace and use new technologies? By getting trained!
MORE TRAINING FOR HOTEL STAFF TO MAKE THEM ‘E-SAVVY’ (Posted 08th September 2015) Today’s work environment in the hospitality industry is rapidly changing with ever new technologies and of course the latest craze, Apps, coming on the market literally by the day. Original training of hotel staff of course covered plenty of aspects of what […]
