Entire island nations could be lost like ancient Atlantis
SEYCHELLES HOST CLIMATE CHANGE SYMPOSIUM (Posted 18th October 2013) A symposium on the problems of climate change was held on the Seychelles’ main island of Mahe this week, bringing together participants from several of the Indian Ocean islands and from the African mainland along the Eastern seaboard. The meeting is tasked to develop a common […]
More China bound blood ivory seized
UGANDA SEIZES BLOOD IVORY READY FOR SHIPMENT TO CHINA (Posted 18th October 2013) News received earlier in the week confirmed a major blood ivory seizure by law enforcement officials in Kampala last weekend, when over 800 pieces were found concealed in a container ready for shipment via the Indian Ocean port of Mombasa to China. […]
Serena sweeps the board at WTA with 6 trophies
SERENA HOTELS TAKE 6 WTA AWARDS INCLUDING AFRICA’S BEST HOTEL BRAND (Posted 18th October 2013) (Graham S.E. Cooke handing over yet another WTA Award to Serena’s Director of Operations Mark Gathuri with this correspondent looking on) Nairobi based Serena Hotels, a group presently owning and operating some 24 hotels, resorts, lodges and safari camps in […]
KTB supports Kenya’s first SITE/ICCA/Reed Travel Exhibitions MICE Seminar
REED TRAVEL EXHIBITIONS PARTNER WITH SITE/ICCA AND KTB TO LAUNCH MICE SEMINAR (Posted 17th October 2013) Muriithi Ndegwa, CEO of the Kenya Tourism Board, aka Magical Kenya, this morning officially launched the first ever dedicated MICE Seminar in Nairobi, which aims to equip the over 50 participants from Kenya and the wider region to understand […]
James Rattos bids farewell to the Sheraton Kampala after 12 years
JAMES RATTOS LEAVES THE KAMPALA SHERATON AFTER 12 YEARS (Posted 17th October 2013) After serving in various capacities at the Sheraton Kampala Hotel over the past 12 years, his last position being Director of Sales and Marketing, is James Rattos calling it a day to move back to his native Kenya, where he will on […]
Kenya proves dominant in claiming most African honours at WTA Awards
IT WAS KENYA’S NIGHT AT THE WORLD TRAVEL AWARDS (Posted 17th October 2013) (It is all smiles as the Kenya Tourism Board celebrates their win as Africa’s BEST) The World Travel Awards for Africa 2013, held last evening at the Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi, proved to be a night to remember for the assembled […]
Serena signs long term lease after major new investments in Sweetwaters
SERENA ACQUIRES LONG TERM LEASE FOR SWEETWATERS SAFARI CAMP (Posted 16th October 2013) A pending visit to what can only be described as Kenya’s most complete wildlife and adventure experience, this being the Ol Pejeta Conservancy near Nanyuki in central Kenya, will give me the opportunity to not just see the impressive work carried out […]
Over 150 global ‘buyers’ arrive in Kenya for Magical Kenya Travel Expo
KTB HOSTS ‘BUYERS’ FROM AROUND THE GLOBE TO SHOWCASE DESTINATION (Posted 16th October 2013) The Kenya Tourism Board, ahead of the much anticipated Magical Kenya Travel Expo 2013 has decided to tackle global perception about the destination head on by sending ‘Hosted Buyers’ across the country to experience Kenya’s star attractions and see for themselves […]
Celebrating ‘Channi’ Vohra’s life while mourning his passing …
FARE THEE WELL MY FRIEND – THOUGHTS ON THE PASSING OF A ICON OF KENYA TOURISM (Posted 15th October 2013) As much as Kenya’ tourism fraternity is looking forward to the events unfolding this week, the World Travel Awards and the Magical Kenya Travel Expo, there will also be a deep sense of loss among […]
Trials and tribulations of a frequent traveller
IT ONLY TAKES ONE SPOILER TO MESS UP THE HARD WORK OF SO MANY OTHERS (Posted 15th October 2013) Kenyan immigration officials had to be the odd man, or in this case woman out, when on the trot introducing new rules regarding a multiple re-entry on a visa, as practiced in the past dozens of […]
Eldoret gets first of several planned Boma Inn’s
KENYA RED CROSS’ THE BOMA INN ELDORET NOW FULLY OPERATIONAL (Posted 15th October 2013) The Kenya Red Cross owned The Boma Inn, Eldoret is now fully operational, it was learned on day one of an extended visit to Kenya. The new hotel, part of a planned number of three star hotels across the country, alongside […]
KQ’s new B777-300ER to introduce WiFi, better seats and more
KENYA AIRWAYS READY TO SET NEW AVIATION STANDARDS FOR AFRICAN AIRLINES (Posted 15th October 2013) When Kenya Airways’ latest addition to their growing fleet, a Boeing B777-300ER arrives in just about three weeks from now, it will bring with it a range of new features and innovations hitherto unheard of in Africa. A sneak preview […]
Kigali’s Pearl Lounge braces for ‘Bigger and Better’ as airport reconstruction work nears completion
KIGALI’S PEARL LOUNGE TO CHANGE LOCATION AND RETURN IN A NEW ‘BIG LEAGUE LOOK’ (Posted 15th October 2013) (Ongoing work on the new Pearl Lounge at Kigali International Airport) As work progresses at the Kigali International Airport, to create space for additional check in counters and departure lounges, for more shops and outside parking too […]
FastJet to start Jo’Burg service this Friday
FASTJET SETS NEW DATE FOR JOHANNESBURG FLIGHTS (Posted 14th October 2013) In a breaking news development it was just learned that the South African civil aviation department has at long last finished their ‘review’ of additional documents, demanded from Tanzania’s low cost airline on the eve of their planned inaugural flight from Dar es Salaam […]
AFEX pulls out of Rumbek over tax and other issues
AFEX FORCED TO SHUT DOWN RUMBEK CAMPS (Posted 14th October 2013) Yet another Kenyan company has fallen foul of the murky legal, regulatory and taxation regimes in South Sudan, after that country, by refusing to allow ticket sales proceeds to be repatriated, forced Jetlink late last year into first suspending operations and then closing down […]
Zanzibar’s Old Stone town set to get a Heritage Foundation Centre
ZANZIBAR LAUNCHES NEW HERITAGE FOUNDATION CENTRE IN ANCIENT STONE TOWN (Posted 14th October 2013) The island’s government has launched a new project to promote Zanzibar’s long history when announcing the formation of a Heritage Foundation Centre in the old Stone Town, itself a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Minister for Information, Tourism, Culture and Sports […]
Kigali’s free internet is for real …
KIGALI’S INTERNET REVOLUTION TURNS OUT TO BE REAL, AND REAL FAST (Posted 14th October 2013) A weekend trip to Kigali allowed a firsthand experience with the Rwandan internet revolution, which is currently unfolding in the capital city but may eventually spread across the main urban centres of the country. Already in the past were signals […]
Air Arabia prepares for China flights
AIR ARABIA’S CHINA PLANS BOUND TO EXCITE KENYA’S LCC FANS (Posted 08th October 2013) Cheaper flying options are always a matter of keen interest and it was no surprise that queries started to come in when news broke a few days ago that Air Arabia, currently operating daily flights between Sharjah / UAE and Nairobi, […]
RwandAir’s raffle prize winners get free stay at the Kigali Serena
KIGALI SERENA ADDS VALUE TO RWANDAIR’S RAFFLE PRIZE WINNERS (Posted 13th October 2013) Charles Muia, General Manager of the Kigali Serena Hotel and Country Manager for Serena Hotels in Rwanda, took no time to announce that Kigali’s finest hotel will be happy to host the winner of two business class tickets from Juba to Kigali […]
Juba welcomes RwandAir’s inaugural flight with traditional water cannon salute
RWANDAIR OFFICIALLY LAUNCHES JUBA – DESTINATION NUMBER 15 AND COUNTING (Posted 13th October 2013) ‘We are not the kind of airline which is here today and gone tomorrow, RwandAir is here to stay’ said John Mirenge, CEO of RwandAir when he addressed the invited guests at Juba’s Transit Hotel, comprising government and business leaders including […]
Weekly roundup of news from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean islands, Second edition October 2013
AVIATION, TOURISM AND CONSERVATION NEWS from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean islands. A weekly roundup 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 @whthome or join me on www.facebook.com/WolfgangHThome where the articles also ‘cross load’. Read […]
Zanzibar launches tourist police patrols
ZANZIBAR INTRODUCES TOURIST POLICE (Posted 12th October 2013) Tourism stakeholders in Zanzibar have hailed the move by the islands’ government to introduce dedicated tourism police patrols, aimed to reassure visitors of their safety after some less than desirable negative publicity over incidents involving tourist visitors aside from the general reporting about the security situation on […]
Kigali introduces metered taxis
VISITORS TO KIGALI WILL SOON HAVE EVEN MORE TO SMILE ABOUT (Posted 12th October 2013) When tourists and business travellers arrive in Rwanda by air, their first impression at the airport is one of some serious expansion work going on, which started a year ago and, according to the work schedule available, should be completed […]
Nairobi buzzes with excitement towards two key tourism events next week
KENYA’S TOURISM MARKETERS LOOK AT THE FUTURE NOT THE PAST (Posted 12th October 2013) ‘The only way to go is forward and to go forward means we need to leave the past behind us’ wrote a regular contributor when discussing the direction Kenya Tourism was taking after recent events in the country. ‘SKAL gave us […]
Precision Air left hanging as TZ government turns down request for help
TANZANIAN GOVERNMENT REJECTS PRECISION AIR BAILOUT (Posted 11th October 2013) The Tanzanian government has again played their Kenya card when explaining why, after initially agreeing to support a financial bailout package for struggling Precision Air, they ultimately decided not to come to the aid of Tanzania’s largest private airline, quoted on the Dar es Salaam […]
Another crash ends in tragedy
NO ESCAPE FROM YET ANOTHER LIGHT AIRCRAFT CRASH (Posted 11th October 2013) A Cessna 172 Skyhawk trainer aircraft crashed yesterday shortly after taking off from Nairobi’s Wilson Airport, it was learned overnight. The aircraft, owned and operated by Skylink Ltd, aka Skylink Flights, reportedly nosedived after takeoff just two minutes into the flight and crashed, […]
Conservancy versus Balloons …
MARA NORTH CONSERVANCY WANTS BALLOONS BANNED FROM THEIR SKY OVER THE MARA (Posted 11th October 2013) An epic legal battle is shaping up between the Mara North Conservancy and Transworld Safaris’ balloon operations, according to information received from Nairobi, to determine who owns the skies over the Masai Mara. The High Court in Nairobi earlier […]
KICC Nairobi is the venue for the 2nd Ideal Hospitality Exhibition
IDEAL HOSPITALITY EXPO SHOWCASES PRODUCTS AND SERVICES (Posted 11th October 2013) Another major hospitality exhibition is now underway at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre in Nairobi, just days prior to the Magical Kenya Travel Expo which is organized annually by the Kenya Tourism Board. The second edition of the IHE was formally launched yesterday by […]
CTO and VIO launch Island Tourism Investment and Development meeting at World Routes
By Alain St. Ange, Minister for Tourism and Culture, Seychelles Islands Tourism Investment & Development Meeting at World ROUTES Meeting in Las Vegas It has been a lot time in the making and it was finally at the 2013 World ROUTES Meeting that was held this week in Las Vegas that a dedicated Islands Tourism […]
UCOTA @ 15 – News from Uganda’s Community Tourism Association
As I periodically do, here is a shared version of UCOTA’s latest news broadcast. Enjoy the insight this provides into the grassroots of tourism across the country. Dear Reader, Dear Reader, We are in the last quarter of this year, it has so far been a great year for us not only because we have […]
