Nairobi Governor: STOP THIS AIRPORT PROJECT AT ONCE
NAIROBI GOVERNOR’S ATTEMPT TO STOP JKIA CONSTRUCTION EARNS HIM ‘NAMES’ (Posted 06th December 2013) ‘But not a better airport’ is clearly missing from Kidero’s election manifesto, as the Nairobi Governor yesterday set the course for a head on collision with the central government and President Uhuru Kenyatta, who earlier this week presided over the ground […]
It is all about Reunion Tourism these days …
REUNION TOURISM HITS THE MARKETING TRAIL (Posted 06th December 2013) Vanilla Island Organization founder member Reunion is pulling out all stops these days to widen their reach and open up new markets for tourist visitors to the French Indian Ocean island. The latest initiative focused on the Swiss market, from where 7 travel agents were […]
Safarilink set to showcase ‘new bird’ at Tusker Air Show
SAFARILINK’S NEW CESSNA GRAND CARAVAN TO MAKE GRAND ENTRY ON INDEPENDENCE DAY (Posted 06th December 2013) Safarilink’s 8th brand new Cessna Caravan EX was handed over to Kenya’s premier safari airline yesterday at the Cessna factory in the United States. The state of the art aircraft is presently being fitted with ferry fuel tanks to […]
Kenya celebrates ballooning over the Mara with a 3 day festival
HOT AIR BALLOON FESTIVAL GOES UNDERWAY TODAY OVER THE MASAI MARA (Posted 06th December 2013) The sky over the Masai Mara Game Reserve, which is once again – and quite unseasonally – filled with the wildebeest migration, returning for a second time this year due to drought conditions in the Serengeti, will be the playground […]
Nairobi plunged into darkness by major technical fault in the Kenya Power system
NAIROBI PLUNGED INTO DARKNESS BY KENYA POWER’S INCOMPETENCE (Posted 05th December 2013) Kenya’s capital city of Nairobi was plunged into darkness last night and has, as this report is uploaded, been off the power grid for over 5 hours already, causing untold misery to Nairobi’s residents without access to an inverter home system or a […]
Holiday Inn set to open at Mauritius’ airport as IHG gets voted global top brand
INTERCONTINENTAL HOTELS EMERGES AS GLOBAL SUPERBRAND AT WTA 2013 CEREMONY (Posted 05th December 2013) The InterContinental Hotels Group’s InterContinental Hotels & Resorts brand was recognized last weekend at the global World Travel Award Ceremony in Doha as ‘The World’s Leading Hotel Brand 2013’, and notably for the 5th time in a row and the 7th […]
And finally does Mauritius speak up too …
Why people or organizations send me their newsletters and media updates only to say later on it was not meant for wider publication, will probably forever defeat me – why on earth send it out then in the first place when it is a state secret or meant for a limited number of recipients only. […]
Qatar Airways sets launch date for Dallas flights
QATAR AIRWAYS ANNOUNCES DALLAS FLIGHTS (Posted 05th December 2013) Travellers from Eastern Africa, where Qatar Airways presently serves Entebbe, Kigali, Nairobi, Kilimanjaro and Dar es Salaam with daily and even double daily flights, will be happy to hear that come July 01st next year will the Skytrax 5 star airline add another US destination, Dallas […]
Santa Claus Serena style – be part of lighting up a child’s face this Christmas
SERENA HOTELS LET THE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS SHINE WHERE THE ARE NEEDED MOST (Posted 05th December 2013) Guests staying at any of the Serena properties across Eastern Africa will have noticed that the regular Christmas tree decorations have this year remained in the stores and may wonder why that is so. Serena Hotels, as part of […]
Musanze Caves now officially open for visitors
RDB OFFICIALLY LAUNCHES THE MUSANZE CAVE EXPERIENCE (Posted 05th December 2013) The Rwanda Development Board’s Tourism and Conservation Department will later today formally launch the ‘Musanze Cave Experience’ following several months of trials and a more recent soft opening phase. The Musanze caves development works were undertaken by RDB in collaboration with the Ministry of […]
Africa Travel Week gets backing from Western Cape Province
AFRICA TRAVEL WEEK NOW GETS BACKING FROM WESTERN CAPE PROVINCE (Posted 05th December 2013) The World Travel Market Africa event in Cape Town’s International Convention Centre next year from 28th April till 03nd May has now received the backing of not just the city of Cape Town but also of South Africa’s Western Cape Province, […]
Reunion Tourism courts the Belgian market
REUNION TOURISM PROMOTES THE ISLAND IN BELGIUM (Posted 04th December 2013) Reunion Tourism joined hands with the island’s home carrier Air Austral, LUX Resorts and the Le Recif Resort to attend a Belgian mini trade show organized by ‘Footprints’, with 10 travel agencies from across the country learning about the French Indian Ocean ‘Vanilla Island’. […]
Emirates switches to the A380 on the Los Angeles route
EMIRATES BRINGS THE A380 TO LOS ANGELES (Posted 04th December 2013) Travellers from across Eastern Africa, using Emirates as their airline of choice, will no doubt be delighted about the news from Dubai, that the airline has with immediate effect started to use an Airbus A380 on their route to Los Angeles, the longest commercial […]
Thomson launches first regular B787 service to Mombasa
THOMSON HOLIDAYS BRINGS B787 DREAMLINER TO MOMBASA (Posted 04th December 2013) A regular source from Mombasa has confirmed that Thomson Holidays has now started using their B787-8 Dreamliner on the route from London Gatwick to Mombasa, offering more seats and greater inflight comfort for passengers opting to spend their holiday at the sundrenched beaches of […]
Nyungwe Forest brought closer by RwandAir
RWANDAIR HELPS TO BRING THE ‘ENCHANTED FOREST AKA NYUNGWE’ NEARER TO YOU (Posted 04th December 2013) Rwanda’s Nyungwe Forest National Park remains one of the country’s hidden gems and still much underutilized natural resources, even though visitors’ numbers continue to increase in double digits year after year. The launch three years ago of East Africa’s […]
Update on the Swahili Fashion Week
The much awaited Swahili Fashion Week will finally take off this weekend and the organizer and brain behind it, Mustafa Hassanali, has just released one final news broadcast, promptly shared with my readers, many of whom have expressed keen interest to learn more about this venture. And remember, Swahili Fashion Week will in early 2014 […]
Amadeus celebrates a decade of presence in East Africa
AMADEUS EAST AFRICA CELEBRATES A DECADE OF SERVICE TO THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY (Posted 03rd December 2013) This coming Friday will Amadeus East Africa celebrate their 10th anniversary of entering the East African market in earnest with the establishment of offices across the region. Amadeus provides technology solutions to airlines, hotels, airports, travel agencies and corporations, […]
Yoga comes to Lamu
LAMU CHOSEN TO HOST YOGA FESTIVAL (Posted 03rd December 2013) What has been called ‘East Africa’s first Yoga Summit’ will take place between March 13 – 16 in Kenya’s ancient township of Lamu, which according to the festival organizers provides exactly the picture perfect and yet tranquil setting to stage such a gathering for the […]
Africa – as seen through the eyes of ATTA
In the ongoing series of reproducing interesting and insightful news broadcasts, this latest publication of ATTA, the African Travel and Tourism Association has come just in time to be shared today with my readers. And of course, for companies engaged in tourism activities across the African continent, membership in ATTA is hugely important to benefit […]
Reunion claims new diving world record
REUNION PROVIDES THE STAGE FOR A NEW DIVING WORLD RECORD (Posted 03rd December 2013) A Guinness Book of Records dive took place in Reunion last Sunday when 110 divers undertook their world record dive off the coastal town of Saint – Leu, where underwater they linked up to form the largest ‘chain’ of humans underwater. […]
Air Seychelles announces major expansion plans for 2014
AIR SEYCHELLES ANNOUNCES RETURN TO PARIS AND ACQUISITION OF AN AIRBUS A319 (Posted 03rd December 2013) In a breaking news development has Air Seychelles just announced their return to France with two flights to Paris-Orly starting in February 2014. The two weekly flights, using Air Seychelles’ Airbus A330-200, will route via Abu Dhabi and subject […]
Finish the Rusizi – Rubavu road, Rwandan senate tells infrastructure ministry
RWANDA’S SENATE DEMANDS ACTION ON KEY ROAD ALONG THE ‘CONGO NILE TRAIL’ (Posted 02nd December 2013) Rwanda’s upper house of parliament, the Senate, last week met with the Minister of State in the Ministry of Infrastructure to discuss, among other topics, the state of progress of the crucial Ruzizi – Rubavu road, construction of which […]
Uganda finally scraps VAT on key tourism services
UGANDA’S TOURISM STAKEHOLDERS ‘SATISFIED WITH VAT REMOVAL’ (Posted 02nd December 2013) A letter from the Permanent Secretary to the Treasury made it official that the hugely controversial introduction of an 18 percent VAT charge on upcountry safari accommodation had been scrapped at last: ‘I wish to inform you that during the passing of the VAT […]
New study says ‘hands off Lake Natron’
GOVERNMENT INITIATED STUDY SAYS ‘HANDS OFF LAKE NATRON’ (Posted 02nd December 2013) When details emerged last week of an exhaustive scientific study, conducted on behalf of Tanzania’s National Development Corporation, in other words the government itself, that the implementation of President Kikwete’s directive to move ahead with the controversial soda ash extraction plant at Lake […]
Uganda Tourism maps out course for 2014 and beyond
UGANDA TOURISM TAKES A FRESH LOOK AT THE FUTURE (Posted 02nd December 2013) The Uganda Tourism Board, aka Tourism Uganda, is ending the year with a flurry of consultative workshops to take on board input from the private sector. One of the initiatives is the UNDP supported cooperation with the United Nations World Tourism Organization, […]
More about Africa as seen through the eyes of ‘The Good Safari Guide’
In a now regular series of reproductions of East Africa’s leading safari newsletters and updates about safaris and beach vacations, here is the latest, this one taken from ‘The Good Safari Guide’ – enjoy the read. If you are having trouble viewing this message, see it in your browser. 12/01/2013 Good Safari Guide Newsletter Safari […]
Kenya scoops ‘World’s Leading Safari Destination’ Award in Doha
KENYA NAMED ‘THE WORLD’S LEADING SAFARI DESTINATION’ BY WORLD TRAVEL AWARDS (Posted 02nd December 2013) When Kenya in 10 days time celebrates the 50th year of Independence with a grand Golden Jubilee bash, the country’s tourism marketers at KTB will be able to enjoy two moments of glory they have seen lift many spirits for […]
British envoy caught on Twitter with nasty rant about Khartoum airport
KHARTOUM AIRPORT WORST IN THE WORLD RANTS BRITISH ENVOY TO JORDAN (Posted 01st December 2013) The British Ambassador to Jordan, one Peter Willet, has reportedly dropped any resemblance of diplomatic language when he laid into Khartoum’s international airport, which he described as ‘The Worst In The World’. He apparently uttered his rant via Twitter from […]
EAC signs common currency protocol
COMMON CURRENCY PROTOCOL SIGNED BY EAC HEADS OF STATE (Posted 01st December 2013) The just ended 15th ordinary Summit of the Heads of State of the East African Community, which took place at the Commonwealth Resort in Munyonyo / Kampala, has finally signed the protocol for the establishment of a common currency for the member […]
Weekly roundup of ATC News from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean islands, First edition December 2013
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’. […]
