Monthly Trumpet – February 2014
Enjoy the latest update from Save the Elephants The Monthly Trumpet – February 2014 web version | tell a friend | donate London Unites For Wildlife A quarter of a century ago a meeting in London sparked a transformation in the fate of elephants after an ivory poaching crisis that had halved the number of […]
Arnie Weissman’s view on ‘Boycott or not boycott Uganda’
Do we boycott Uganda? By Arnie Weissmann The sadness moves in every direction. Sympathy, first, for the gay men and women of Uganda, whose worst fears were realized last week when their president, Yoweri Museveni, signed a bill providing penalties for even speaking positively about homosexuality. Sympathy, next, for the thousands of tourism workers in […]
Reunion Tourism fights back against Paris based French bureaucrats
REUNION TAKES FIGHT FOR THE ISLAND’S TOURISM SECTOR TO THE PARIS BUREAUCRATS (Posted 06th March 2014) Following a recent audit report, produced by bureaucrats in Paris, questioning the validity and purpose of the island’s tourism promotion efforts, its partnership within the Indian Ocean Vanilla Islands Organization and breaking ranks vis a vis the mainland’s Visa […]
A word from Iain Douglas Hamilton on World Wildlife Day
Today is the inaugural World Wildlife Day, recently established by the UN General Assembly in order to celebrate our wild world and to urge us to step up the fight against wildlife crime in this precarious era. This morning Frank and I were at the Kenya Wildlife Service headquarters to celebrate the occasion, and found […]
Rhino Economics Discredited
News update from the Conservation Action Trust Rhino Economics Discredited Conservation Action Trust www.conservationaction.co.za RHINO ECONOMICS DISCREDITED By Ian Michler Daily Maverick, 4 March 2014 The recently held London Conference on the illegal wildlife trade has made headlines for a number of reasons, not least of which was South Africa’s much criticized decision […]
Kenya Airways due to get 7 new wide body aircraft this year
KENYA AIRWAYS CONFIRMS CONTINUED GROWTH UNDER ‘PLAN MAWINGO’ (Posted 05th March 2014) It is a month to go until Kenya Airways will be able to welcome their first B787-8 Dreamliner in Nairobi, marking the next phase of roll out of the airline’s strategic ‘Plan Mawingo’, which outlines growth and expansion over the next 8 years. […]
Rwanda Rising
EUROMONEY NAMES RWANDA’S EUROBOND AS ‘DEAL OF THE YEAR 2013’ (Posted 05th March 2014) When Euromoney, one of the world’s leading finance magazines, recently named Rwanda’s first ever Eurobond as ‘2013 Deal of the Year’ only those who failed in the past to observe the Phoenix rise from the ashes could have been truly surprised, […]
Tanzania’s elephant census moves to the Northern circuit
TANZANIA TO LAUNCH ELEPHANT CENSUS ACROSS THE NORTHERN CIRCUIT (Posted 04th March 2014) Following the elephant census carried out late last year covering the Selous and Ruaha – which came back with devastating results about a very sharp drop in elephant numbers – have news emerged that the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute will shortly commence […]
Tourism crisis talks ahead of ITB address key stakeholder concerns
PRESIDENT KENYATTA HOLDS CRISIS TALKS OVER TOURISM SECTOR’S PERFORMANCE (Posted 04th February 2014) Team Kenya, presently assembling in full strength in Berlin to attend the annual International Tourism Bourse – and their confidence clearly boosted by Lupita’s Oscar win as Best Supporting Actress – has reportedly taken comfort in the fact that President Kenyatta has […]
Abu Dhabi flights from Nairobi now exclusively operated by Etihad under code share with Kenya Airways
KENYA AIRWAYS LEAVES ABU DHABI ROUTE TO CODE SHARE PARTNER ETIHAD (Posted 04th March 2014) While citing ‘operational reasons’ for the suspension of direct flights by Kenya Airways – hitherto three times a week using a B737NG on the route – it is obvious that after taking a hard look at load factors for this […]
Reunion Tourism’s offers stakeholders a central booking system overview
REUNION HOLDS ANNUAL TRAINING SEMINAR FOR CENTRAL RESERVATION USERS (Posted 04th March 2014) Only recently did Ile de la Reunion Tourisme hold their annual training seminar, attended by over 80 partner organisations which make regular use of the booking facilities offered by IRT via their website. The participants gathered at the Village Bienvenue à Sainte-Marie […]
RwandAir’s new bird comes home to roost
BRAND NEW BOMBARDIER Q400 NEXTGEN JOINS RWANDAIR FLEET IN KIGALI (Posted 04th March 2014) Rwanda enjoyed another proud moment yesterday when national airline RwandAir flew in their latest acquisition, a Bombardier Q400 NextGen. After a low level flypast did the aircraft land to the traditional water cannon salute from Kigali International Airport’s fire brigade before […]
Lupita’s Oscar win a boost for Magical Kenya
TEAM KENYA GETS BOOST FOR ITB 2014 AS LUPITA WINS OSCAR (Posted 03rd March 2014) The timelines on the social media exploded this morning at 20 past 6 local East African time as Lupita won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in ’12 Years a Slave’. Kenya has in the past featured […]
Qatar wants US Immigration pre-clearance status for new airport
QATAR SEEKS US IMMIGRATION PRE-CLEARANCE FOR HAMAD INTERNATIONAL DEPARTURES (Posted 03rd March 2014) Following the agreement between Abu Dhabi and the United States, to establish a US Immigration pre-clearance outpost at the international airport in Abu Dhabi for flights by Etihad into the United States, are now news emerging that Qatar too is negotiating for […]
China critics are not taking kindly to their officials mouthing off
ATTACKING CRITICS DOES NOT CHANGE THE FACTS THAT CHINA IS THE MAIN CONSUMER OF BLOOD IVORY (Posted 03rd March 2014) The mudslinging by Chinese officials, blaming ‘Western media’ and by implication the conservation fraternity at large, for negative publicity over the sharp increase in elephant slaughter in Africa, and as being intended to drive a […]
Kampala celebrates good food and drink as the rest of the world celebrates Carnival
SHERATON’S CONNOISSEUR FESTIVAL ONCE AGAIN A BIG SUCCESS (Posted 02nd March 2014) (One of several ‘exhibitors’ stalls at the Sheraton Kampala’s 02nd Connoisseur Festival) The glasses handed out by the Sheraton Kampala at the entrance to the Lion Centre and the extensive gardens beyond were put to good use by hundreds of Kampaleans who thronged […]
Ethiopian Airlines announces Vienna flights from June onwards
ETHIOPIAN ADDS VIENNA AS THEIR 9TH EUROPEAN DESTINATION (Posted 03rd March 2014) Starting on 02nd of June will Ethiopian Airlines add Vienna, the Austrian capital, to their European network, making it a total of 9 destinations across Europe. In partnership with fellow Star Alliance member Austrian Airlines will passengers be able to fly beyond Vienna […]
The downside of those new laws in Uganda – Suspension of aid, withholding loans
RECALL OF WORLD BANK LOAN DEALS SERIOUS BLOW TO UGANDA’S TOURISM AND WILDLIFE SECTOR (Posted 02nd March 2014) The announcement on Friday by the Managing Director of the World Bank, that a loan of over 90 million US Dollars lined up for Uganda, from which in particular the tourism and wildlife sector, and specifically the […]
Find out why Malawi’s civil aviation department cancelled Kenya Airways’ traffic right to Lusaka
MALAWI CANCELS KENYA AIRWAYS’ 5TH FREEDOM RIGHTS BETWEEN LILONGWE AND LUSAKA (Posted 01st March 2014) Kenya Airways’ long standing service to the Malawian travelling public, offering a 5th freedom connection between Malawi and Zambia, was clearly worth little for the bureaucrats in Lilongwe, when they abruptly cancelled these 5th freedom rights to give upstart Malawian […]
Saint Pierre’s Hotel Lindsey now on IRT central booking platform
IRT’S CENTRAL BOOKING SYSTEM ADDS ‘HOTEL LINDSEY’ (Posted 01st March 2014) Ile de la Reunion Tourisme, or Reunion Tourism’s central reservation system, which is accessible via the organization’s website www.reunion.fr, has just added another locally owned hotel to the growing list of available properties it now features. Built last year and located in the town […]
Kenya Airways’ ‘Change for Change’ makes a difference for the Born Free Foundation
KENYA AIRWAYS AND BORN FREE FOUNDATION REVAMP COOPERATION (Posted 01st March 2014) To celebrate the 30th ‘birthday’ of the Born Free Foundation on the 21st of March has Kenya Airways and Virginia McKenna, the lead actress in the Oscar winning classic film ‘Born Free’ once again joined hands to make the already intense working relationship […]
Air Mauritius on track to post full year profit after years of losses
AIR MAURITIUS RETURNS TO PROFITABILITY (Posted 01st March 2014) Information received over a week ago, which inexplicably ended up in the spam box and was only retrieved today after the source in Port Louis made enquiries, paints a rosier picture for the financial future of Air Mauritius. A significant turnaround is now visible as the […]
Bombardier hands over brand new Q400NextGen to RwandAir
RWANDAIR NOW JUST A MONTH AWAY FROM DOUALA LAUNCH (Posted 28th February 2014) As Kigali is getting ready to receive RwandAir’s brand new Bombardier Q400NextGen turboprop aircraft next Monday afternoon, are news emerging from the airline’s corporate headquarters that the planned launch of flights to Douala, the carrier’s 16th destination overall and 5th in West […]
Air Seychelles’ outgoing CEO Cramer Ball gets presidential thanks for a job well done
OUTGOING AIR SEYCHELLES CEO RECEIVES PRESIDENTIAL THANKS (Posted 28th February 2014) Cramer Ball, and his successor Manoj Papa who will take over on the 01st of April, were yesterday invited to State House in Victoria for a meeting with President James Alix Michel. The president, in his State of the Nation Address a day earlier, […]
Reunion Tourism seeks new avenues to promote the island in France
IRT ROLLING OUT NEW COMMUNICATIONS CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE (Posted 28th February 2014) Reunion’s tourism office is pulling out all the stops to make sure the island remains visible in the key French market with the signing of an agreement with France’s Karavel Group. IRT will have access to three communications platforms to get their messages […]
High Court Judge in Kampala orders release of blood ivory – UWA/URA set to appeal ruling
UGANDA’S REPUTATION TAKES ANOTHER KNOCK AS JUDGE RETURNS BLOOD IVORY TO OWNERS (Posted 28th February 2014) Conservationists and the public at large were baffled when news broke two days ago that High Court Judge Musalu Musene had delivered a ruling which effectively returned a seized consignment of blood ivory coming from the Congo to the […]
Safety in aviation – Africa – 2 weeks to go
Entebbe will be the place to be for everyone who is keento participate in key aviation certification workshops. Coming your way in two weeks, AVIASSIST will conduct a series of training sessions for aviation personnel from the entire region. Don’t miss this great opportunity. Key airlines partners are Kenya Airways / KLM, Air Uganda, Emirates […]
KAA again under scrutiny over tender award for duty free shops at JKIA
PROCUREMENT OVERSIGHT AUTHORITY HALTS KAA DUTY FREE SHOPS TENDER AWARD (Posted 28th February 2014) The Public Procurement Oversight Authority has questioned the validity of the tender award by the Kenya Airport Authority to hand the duty free shops at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport over to a new operator, according to information received from a […]
Flying to Mombasa for a song – book now with Jambojet
JAMBOJET FLIGHTS NOW OPEN FOR BOOKINGS (Posted 28th February 2014) Nairobi to Mombasa at Kenya Shillings 2.850 or the equivalent of 33 US Dollars, all taxes and regulatory charges included – flying does not come any cheaper in Kenya as even some bus companies now charge more than that. Bookings have yesterday gone ‘live’ and […]
President Michel’s State of the Nation address confirms tourism’s contributions to economy
PRESIDENT MICHEL’S STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS HIGHLIGHTS TOURISM CONTRIBUTIONS TO NATIONAL ECONOMY (Posted 27th February 2014) When President James Alix Michel delivered his 10th State of the Nation address yesterday, the Seychellois’ eyes and ears were tuned to TV screens and radios to hear what the balance sheet for 2013 would look like and […]
