Bike for Africa comes to Uganda

BRUSSELS AIRLINES BRINGS ‘BIKE FOR AFRICA’ TO UGANDA (Posted 10th January 2014) Supported by the Brussels Airlines Foundation will a group of cyclists from Belgium come to Uganda between the 29th of January and the 05th of February to raise funds for children’s projects in the country. They plan to cover a distance of about […]

WTM Africa Hosted Buyer Programme ‘sells’ like hot cakes

WORLD TRAVEL MARKET AFRICA PREPARATION GATHERS MOMENTUM (Posted 10th January 2014) The first ever edition of the World Travel Market Africa has received phenomenal initial interest from the global travel industry’s leading buyers with the introduction of Reed Travel Exhibitions’ world-renowned Hosted Buyer programme. Registration for WTM Africa’s Hosted Buyer programme only opened last week […]

AVIASSIST heads to Entebbe for certification workshops

AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATION COURSE SET FOR ENTEBBE (Posted 10th January 2014) The AVIASSIST Foundation, in conjunction with CASSOA, the Civil Aviation Safety and Security Oversight Agency of the East African Community, will be holding a rare airworthiness certification course in Uganda between 10th and 12th of March this year. The information availed shows that only 20 […]

Online hotel marketing solutions provider HLS comes to Uganda

A hosted piece from Mamerito Ssenfuma of Guide2Uganda HOTEL LINK SOLUTIONS NOW AVAILABLE IN UGANDA (Posted 10th January 2014) Hotel Link Solutions (HLS), a leading global provider of accommodation digital marketing solutions, successfully entered Uganda market. This new company in the East Africa region, brings product line of advanced digital online marketing solutions to hotels, […]

LUX* Maldives wins as ‘Leading All Inclusive Resort’

Though technically an issue covering the Indian Ocean Vanilla Islands, newsfrom the Maldives are by and large beyond the geographical area of my reporting. Nevertheless, as I have stayed at a LUX Resort on the island of Reunion last year, this one is worth sharing. Congrats to LUX Maldives and their entire staff for this […]

Zurich becomes Emirates’ 25th A380 destination

SWITZERLAND BY A380 – NOW POSSIBLE WITH EMIRATES (Posted 09th January 2014) East Africans traveling to Switzerland now finally have the chance to fly one sector of that journey with the giant Airbus A380, as Emirates, Dubai’s award winning airline launched their latest destination to be served with the world’s largest passenger aircraft. This switch […]

Only five weeks until Sauti za Busara 2014

More about Sauti za Busara … enjoy the read, the pictures and the videos … Only five weeks until Sauti za Busara 2014 This newsletter is sent to 65,578 subscribers Email not displaying correctly, view it in your browser Do not reply to this email address. If you would like to get in touch please […]

UWA puts gorilla permit sales on line

UGANDAN TOUR OPERATORS GRUDGINLY ACCEPT ON LINE GORILLA PERMIT SALE (Posted 09th January 2014) In what was described as an internal debate of some vigour has the Association of Uganda Tour Operators apparently accepted that the Uganda Wildlife Authority’s on line sale of the prized gorilla permits can go ahead after all. Sections of the […]

FastJet spreads distribution network

FASTJET WIDENS REACH BY SIGNING ON TO NEW DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS (Posted 09th January 2014) FastJet yesterday announced the signing of two additional distribution agreements that will allow travel agents worldwide to access and sell its flights. The first agreement, signed recently with Skyscanner, the award-winning global travel search and comparison company, will enable consumers to […]

Seychelles stand at Indonesian trade show gives free exposure to African destinations

SEYCHELLES OFFERS AFRICAN COUNTRIES A SHOWCASE PLATFORM IN INDONESIA (Posted 09th January 2014) Seychelles’ Pan African spirit once again showed when the Special Envoy of the Seychelles to ASEAN Mr. Nico Barito invited fellow African countries to use the Seychelles’ stand to display posters and brochures and provide information about trade and investment opportunities. The […]

Njaramba out – Tumbo in as Mombasa tourism stakeholders do ‘SMH’

MOMBASA COUNTY TOURISM SECRETARY’S ‘DEMOTION’ RUFFLES FEATHERS (Posted 08th January 2014) Kenya coast tourism stakeholders were largely perplexed when news broke yesterday that the Mombasa county governor had sent his tourism secretary packing and move to the agriculture portfolio, generally seen as a demotion and swiftly bringing condemnation for the governor’s action. In the immediate […]

5 dead and several missing after falling off ferry boat from Pemba to Zanzibar

ANOTHER MARITIME DISASTER NARROWLY AVOIDED (Posted 08th January 2014) At least 5 passengers on the inter island ferry MV Kilimanjaro II died on Sunday after falling overboard with an unspecified number of people still reported missing. Information received from Unguja, Zanzibar’s main island, to where the ferry was heading after leaving the sister island of […]

Sauti Za Busara – 5 weeks and counting

ZANZIBAR IS GETTING READY FOR SAUTI ZA BUSARA 2014 (Posted 08th January 2014) What has arguably become Africa’s best known music and performing arts festival, and is without doubt East Africa’s leading event to showcase African music and films, Sauti za Busara is now just over a month away and the organizers are working flat […]

Lenstiti Kreol Enternasyonal – where the Creole nation will be born

IS THE RENAMING OF THE CREOLE INSTITUTE THE START OF THE CREOLE NATION? (Posted 07th January 2014) ‘You had a great idea my friend, yes it is time for us Creole people to come together as one nation. Even though we are spread across much of the world, we are unique in our culture, our […]

Jetair Belgium announces end of charter operation to Mombasa

NOW JETAIR TOO ANNOUNCES THE END OF ANOTHER MOMBASA CHARTER (Posted 07th January 2014) Information was confirmed yesterday that Belgium’s Jetair will halt their charter operation to Mombasa come April and will not resume operations later in the year. Passengers from Belgium will then have to travel to neighbouring Holland and use flights by TUI […]

Reunion tourism is back to full operations after cyclone Bejisa

REUNION RECOVERING FROM MONSTER STORM BEJISA (Posted 07th January 2014) Cyclone Bejisa, which lashed the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion first thing in the New Year, has left a trail of destruction and claimed at least one life while causing over a dozen people to be injured, some of them seriously. The island […]

Kenya Airports Authority selects LSG Sky Chefs as NAS monopoly crumbles

LUFTHANSA’S SKY CHEFS ARE HEADING TO NAIROBI (Posted 07th January 2014) One of Kenya’s last monopolies will finally be broken, when Lufthansa’s catering subsidiary company LSG Sky Chefs will set up shop at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport after being given a concession as second caterer by the Kenya Airport Authority. NAS has held the […]

6 weeks to go to the 2014 edition of the Seychelles Marathon

NEXT UP IN THE SEYCHELLES – THE ECO FRIENDLY MARATHON (Posted 06th January 2014) Visitors who want to combine a trip to the paradise archipelago of the Seychelles with some active sports event, mark the 23rd of February in your calendar as that is the day the annual Seychelles Marathon is being run on the […]

New post 2013: A Year in Review

Many reasons why you too should fly with WordPress.com – and thanks for reading my blog so faithfully … Krista posted: "With 2013 behind us, we can now take a look at our community’s incredible accomplishments over the past year. Here’s the year that was on WordPress.com. 13,704,819 new blogs in 2013 That’s a 36% […]

RwandAir expansion continues in 2014

RWANDAIR NAMES FEBRUARY 24TH AS DELIVERY DATE FOR THEIR FIRST BOMBARDIER Q400 (Posted 07th January 2014) RwandAir has yesterday announced that they expect their next brand new aircraft, a Bombardier Q400NextGen turboprop in a dual class configuration, on Monday, February 24th. When put into commercial service the new state of the art bird will replace […]

New record revenues and arrivals for Seychelles in 2013

SEYCHELLES RECORDS DOUBLY DIGIT TOURISM GROWTH IN 2013 (Posted 06th January 2013) The Central Bank in Victoria, the Seychelles’ capital, has today confirmed that the archipelago has in 2013 earned 343.6 million US Dollars from tourism revenues, up by 11 percent from the previous record breaking year of 2012. Tourism arrivals by midnight 31st December […]

Rwanda Tourism gets boost as 885 graduate from RTUC

885 GRADUATE FROM RWANDA’S UNIVERSITY TOURISM COLLEGE (Posted 06th January 2014) Last weekend saw nearly 900 students from the Rwanda Tourism University College graduate and receive their certificates, diplomas and degrees after successfully completing their respective courses last year. This is generally seen as a shot in the arm of Rwanda’s sustained efforts to professionalize […]

81 tusks seized and two arrested at Dar es Salaam port

OVER 80 TUSKS CONFISCATED AT DAR ES SALAAM PORT (Posted 04th January 2014) Information already referred to yesterday about a seizure of blood ivory at the port of Dar es Salaam was confirmed overnight. Sources in the Tanzanian port city gave the number of tusks confiscated as 81, indicative of the slaughter of at least […]

Weekly roundup of ATC News

AVIATION TOURISM & CONSERVATION NEWS EAST AFRICA A weekly roundup from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean islands of breaking news, reports, travel stories and opinions by Prof. Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome You can get your daily news updates instantly via Twitter by following @whthomeor join me on www.facebook.com/WolfgangHThome where the articles also ‘cross load’. […]

Marasa holds 2013 rates as VAT decision reversed

MARASA AFRICA HOLDS 2013 RATES FOR CHOBE SAFARI LODGE (Posted 04th January 2014) Marasa Africa, owners and operators of 4 safari lodges in Uganda and 3 safari properties in Kenya, has taken the opportunity, when wishing their clientele a Happy New Year, to also announce that their rack rates for the Chobe Safari Lodge will […]

Christmas – tick | New Year – tick | Valentine’s Day next

VALENTINE’S WEEKEND IS THE NEXT TARGET FOR HOTEL AND RESORT OPERATORS (Posted 04th January 2014) With the busy Christmas and New Year’s period now over, the hotels and resorts next major target is Valentine’s Day, which this year falling on a Friday. Hospitality businesses are putting packages together already for those who are love struck […]

Air Seychelles gets Skytrax’s 4 star rating

AIR SEYCHELLES ATTAINS SKYTRAX 4 STAR RATING (Posted 04th January 2014) In one of aviation history’s most remarkable recent turnarounds has Air Seychelles just been anointed by Skytrax with the coveted 4 Star rating, after working relentlessly for over a year in upgrading and improving service levels, in the air and on the ground. Three […]

Kikwete promises resumption of anti poaching operations as more blood ivory found at port

PRESIDENT KIKWETE PROMISES FRESH ANTI POACHING CAMPAIGN IN 2014 (Posted 03rd January 2014) In his New Year message to Tanzanians did President Kikwete promise to resume the controversial anti poaching operation ‘Tokomeza’ which was halted in November after it became known that officials on the ground had subverted the objectives of anti poaching and took […]

2013 ends with the loss of another rhino at the Solio Conservancy

RHINO POACHED AT SOLIO CONSERVANCY ONLY DAYS AFTER NEW WILDLIFE BILL SIGNED (Posted 03rd January 2014) Just a week since President Kenyatta signed the new Wildlife Bill into law on Christmas Eve have poachers struck at the Solio Conservancy in Central Kenya and killed another rhino, from available details the last in 2013. Information only […]