Diani resort reopens in defiance of current tourism trends
A GLIMMER OF HOPE AS THE INDIAN OCEAN BEACH RESORT IN DIANI RE-OPENS (Posted 02nd April 2015) Considering the challenges Kenya’s coastal tourism industry is currently facing, can the re-opening, after major renovations and modernization, of the Jacaranda Indian Ocean Beach Resort only be described as a leap of faith, counting on better times to […]
Ever heard of ‘Herd Tracker’ ???
If you have never heard of Herd Tracker you are forgiven. After all, I too had not heard of it until they contacted me a few weeks ago, asking if I were interested to get updates from them about the movement of the great herds of wildebeest and zebras constantly moving between the Serengeti and […]
A guest post from Amadeus EA on some novel concepts and tools
Panelists explore preferences of millennials, see mobile and social as keys for travel players By: Malek NejjaiHead of Global Corporate Communication, Amadeus IT Group ‘Inspiring the new explorer generation of travellers’ panel Many millennial travellers (born after 1980) are already taking trips, but what do they expect from the travel industry? How will they re-shape […]
And a news items picked up from Zimbabwe which is worth reading …
Africa Albida completes $3.5 million investment Africa Albida has invested heavily in upgrading the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge and opening adjacent properties. Over the past five years, Africa Albida Tourism has spent $3.5 million upgrading existing properties and opening new ones. Work has included the opening of the Victoria Falls Safari Club, a 20-room property […]
Uganda Community Tourism Association E-Newsletter ~ March 2015
Tourism news from the Ugandan grass roots, courtesy of the UCOTA E-TEAM Uganda Community Tourism Association E-newsletter ~March 2015 Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Like us on Facebook Follow on Twitter Forward to a Friend The Uganda Community Tourism Association’s mission is to spearhead sustainable community-based tourism in collaboration […]
No 372 Wildlife Trade News: 1st April
Your daily dose of bad news about poaching, wildlife and environmental crimes … Under the spotlight today …………………… Mozambican police announce seizure of 17 rhino horns.(NA comment: Vietnamese implicated – unsurprisingly) http://en.starafrica.com/news/mozambican-police-announce-seizure-of-17-rhino-horns.html CITES VIETNAM M.A.? No 372 Wildlife Trade News: 1st April Baby elephants in sanctuary – ZCTF The Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force (ZCTF) has […]
Beware of Lillian pranking you today …
One should always be wary on April’s Fool’s Dayand when you read this piece from Lillian Gaitho, beware twice … Forget swimming with the sharks, now you can sleep with them on Jovago.com! Jovago.com lists one of the coolest undersea lodges in Africa. Nairobi, 1st April- Activities abound for adventurists who seek to explore the […]
EC Air confirms Dakar flights and announces 5 more destinations for this year
EC AIR, HOST OF THE 2015 AFRAA AGA, ADDS ROUTES AND FREQUENCIES (Posted 01st April 2015) EC Air has announced the launch of flights from Brazzaville to Dakar, via their existing destination Bamako. The aircraft used for the time being will be a two class B757-200 which will, come 01st of June, be substituted by […]
Bush or Beach for Easter?
Lillian Gaitho today shares her suggestions if to go to the beach or to the bush for the upcoming long Easter weekend … Enjoy! Bush and Beach: Your Best Bets for a Relaxing Easter Weekend. For the nearly two thousand years that it has been celebrated, Easter has always been a time for family, friends […]
News from Wasini Island
Amina, co-founder and co-owner of the Wasini Guide and the Blue Monkey Beach Cottages, today shares here views how, by supporting locally owned businesses tourist visitors actually support the local population. Enjoy the read! Do you want to support conservation of the local natural resources while traveling – and this without spending any extra money? […]
Reunion devotes annual tourism symposium to China this year
REUNION’S 2015 TOURISM FORUM FOCUSES ON CHINA (Posted 01st April 2015) Since 2009 has the Professional University Institute (IUP) Tourism Institute of Business Administration (IAE) of Reunion every year organized a symposium with a tourism related theme. Between celebration and reflection, this annual event aims to contribute to the dynamic marketing of destination Reunion. This […]
Kenya Airways returns to Monrovia
KENYA AIRWAYS RESUMES FLIGHTS TO MONROVIA (Posted 01st April 2015) Kenya Airways has received permission from government in Nairobi to resume flights to Monrovia, which will operate via Accra in Ghana. It is understood that the route between Accra and Monrovia will be operated under fifth freedom traffic rights allowing Kenya Airways to pick up […]
Opportunities await deserving Ugandan students as the Madhvani Foundation launches their 2015 applications
UGANDA’S MADHVANI FOUNDATION SEEKS APPLICATIONS FOR SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS (Posted 01st April 2015) Uganda’s largest private education foundation has for the current year increased their funding to 700 million Uganda Shillings, benefitting academically excellent but financially challenged students. Since the launch of the programme in 2003, when some 300 million Uganda Shillings were made available, has […]
2014 World Travel Awards Nominee – Please Vote for Us
It is this time of year when East Africa’s best seek your votes to get the global recognition they all deserve … Take a bit of time, register with WTA and vote for your favourite resorts, hotels and safari lodges … Having any problems seeing this newsletter? View this email in your browser 2015 World […]
No 371 Wildlife Trade News 31st March 2015
The daily dose of bad news about poaching, wildlife and environmental crimes Under the spotlight today …………………… Botswana: China Decision Worries Wildlife Minister http://allafrica.com/stories/201503301406.html No 371 Wildlife Trade News 31st March 2015 NEW YORK TIMES: In Vietnam, Rampant Wildlife Smuggling Prompts Little Concern: NA COMMENT: Exactly what we have been saying in the newsletter for […]
Another global hotel brand comes to Rwanda
GOLDEN TULIP HOTELS SIGNS MANAGEMENT DEAL IN KIGALI (Posted 31st March 2015) The Rwanda Development Board was reportedly putting the deal together for the owners of the La Palisse Hotel, a new four star project with over 230 rooms and suites to use Golden Tulip Hotels & Resorts to oversee the preopening stage and the […]
New tourism clips from Reunion now available on YouTube
IRT LAUNCHES 24 SHORT VIDEOS TO PROMOTE REUNION’S ATTRACTIONS AND SERVICES (Posted 31st March 2015) Ile de la Reunion Tourisme has now launched 24 individual short videos to highlight the services and attractions of the island, each covering a specific aspect with a duration of just one minute. The tourism industry is an important sector […]
South Sudan”s currency reserves exhausted as war cost takes its toll
GOING – GOING – GONE … SOUTH SUDAN’S COFFERS LEFT EMPTY AS FOREIGN EXCHANGE RESERVES DISAPPEAR (Posted 31st March 2015) There seems to be outright confusion in South Sudan’s capital Juba over an announcement by the country’s Central Bank that their foreign exchange reserves have run out, in other words that no foreign currency is […]
Another international hotel brand comes to Dar es Salaam as the Ramada opening is imminent
NEW DAR ES SALAAM RAMADA INN ANNOUNCES APRIL OPENING (Posted 31st March 2015) The 17+ million US Dollar Ramada Resort Dar es Salaam will shortly open its doors, it was learned through a source based in Tanzania’s commercial capital city. Located along the Jangwani beach do the 121 rooms and 18 suites offer spectacular views […]
Obama visit should give Kenya tourism a boost
OBAMA FINALLY ANNOUNCES VISIT TO KENYA IN JULY (Posted 31st March 2015) Airforce One will be making a return to East Africa for a second time in two years when President Obama will finally make good of his promise to visit the land of his father. In 2013 did Obama skip a visit to Kenya […]
When an airline needs armed cops to keep order you know things have gone bad
DID INEPT AIRLINE STAFF CALL COPS ON FRUSTRATED PASSENGERS? (Posted 31st March 2015) Comments came in thick and fast all day about yesterday’s article which explained how Jambojet stranded passengers from Ukunda who were destined for their international flight connections in Nairobi. A clearer picture began to emerge today as passenger feedback also started to […]
Air Seychelles / Etihad set for double daily flights to Abu Dhabi
AIR SEYCHELLES / ETIHAD TO GO DOUBLE DAILY ON ABU DHABI – MAHE ROUTE (Posted 30th March 2015) Information was received that, without yet confirming a date, Air Seychelles and partner airline Etihad will move from the present 13 weekly flights between Abu Dhabi and Mahe to a full double daily service. According to the […]
No 370 Wildlife Trade News 30th March 2015
The good news from Malawi, where the ivory stock will be burned this week, are overshadowed by another daily dose of bad news about ongoing poaching, wildlife and environmental crimes Under the spotlight today …………………… Malawi to burn its £5m ivory stockpile this week – and demonstrate its commitment to wildlife conservation http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/malawi-to-burn-its-5m-ivory-stockpile-this-week–and-demonstrate-its-commitment-to-wildlife-conservation-10141379.html ….. while […]
Cost of museum visits in Rwanda set to rise
INSTITUTE OF NATIONAL MUSEUMS RAISING ENTRANCE FEES TO RAISE MORE FUNDS (Posted 30th March 2015) A regular source in Kigali has confirmed that entrance fees and charges for other services at the various museums across Rwanda, the Royal sites included, will be raised from 01st of April. East African residents will from that date onwards […]
Kenya Airways adjusts schedule ahead of night closure of JKIA runway
KENYA AIRWAYS ANNOUNCES SCHEDULE CHANGES EFFECTIVE 01ST OF APRIL (Posted 30th March 2015) Kenya Airways has announced changes to their current schedule, effective from the 01st of April, sharply increasing connectivity on domestic and African routes. Malindi will be served twice a day, up from the present 6 flights a week, clearly an effort by […]
Kenya’s season opening triathlon will be held in Watamu
INTERNATIONAL TRIATHLETES DEFY UK ANTI TRAVEL ADVISORY FOR WATAMU EVENT (Posted 30th March 2015) The ‘Season Opener’ for Kenya’s triathlon calendar will be held in Watamu / Kilifi county at the Kenya coast on 18th and 19th of April and over 200 local and international athletes have already signed up for the event. The various […]
Lupita in Kampala and almost no one knows …
OSCAR WINNER LUPITA ON LOCATION IN KAMPALA FOR ‘QUEEN OF KATWE’ PRODUCTION (Posted 30th March 2015) The Oscar winning star of ’12 Years a Slave’, Lupita Nyong’o, is presently in Uganda for the shoot of the Mira Nair directed film ‘Queen of Katwe’ and ‘official Uganda’ is only slowly catching on to the news. The […]
Rocky start for Jambojet’s Ukunda flights?
JAMBOJET ACCUSED TO STRAND UKUNDA PASSENGERS AS FLIGHT FAILS TO ARRIVE (Posted 30th March 2015) After launching their new domestic destinations Lamu, Malindi and Ukunda only two days ago has apparently the goodwill Jambojet created with the new flights already evaporated and gone out of the proverbial window as far as Ukunda is concerned. Social […]
Construction delays trigger a full project audit for Kigali’s new conference centre
RWANDAN GOVERNMENT AT THE VERGE OF SACKING CONTRACTOR FOR NEW NATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE? (Posted 29th March 2015) Word is coming out of tourism stakeholder circles in Kigali that the Rwandan government, clearly exasperated over the long delay in the completion of the new national convention centre and the adjoining hotel, has appointed auditors to get […]
e-Commerce across Africa gathers pace as new deals are signed
JOVAGO.COM JOINS FORCES WITH TRIVAGO.COM TO ADD YET MORE VALUE FOR CLIENTS (Posted 29th March 2015) Africa’s top hotel booking platform has just signed up for a deal with Trivago, the world’s leading hotel search and price comparison site, to add yet more oomph to their services and provide their clients with the arguably best […]
