Lewa Downs and Ngare Ndare Forest join Mt. Kenya World Heritage Site
LEWA DOWNS MAKES IT INTO THE UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE LIST (Posted 16th July 2013) The Mount Kenya World Heritage Site was recently expanded to include two additional conservation areas, namely Lewa Downs and the Ngare Ndare Forest. Lewa Downs, once upon a time a conventional cattle ranch owned and operated by the Craig […]
East African Tourism Platform signs partnership with VISA
Visa enters into collaboration to promote East African tourism Nairobi, Kenya – 15th JULY 2013. – Global payments technology company Visa is collaborating with East African Tourism Platform (EATP) to strengthen global tourism interest in the region and promote inbound tourism spend. The year-long collaboration will focus on various initiatives across the region such as […]
Seychelles Tourism Minister vies for UNWTO Executive Council seat
ALAIN ST. ANGE SET TO VIE FOR AFRICAN SEAT ON UNWTO EXECUTIVE COUNCIL (Posted 15th July 2013) Seychelles’ Minister for Tourism and Culture, Alain St. Ange, will reportedly seek election for the African seat on the UN World Tourism Organization Executive Committee during the Annual Meeting, this year taking place jointly hosted by […]
Countdown starts to Kampala City Festival on 06th October
KCC CEO JENNIFER MUSISI LAUNCHES COUNTDOWN TO KAMPALA CITY FESTIVAL (Posted 15th July 2013) (KCCA CEO Jennifer Musisi on the right holding the balloons) Kampala City Council Authority CEO Jennifer Musisi today launched the countdown to the Kampala City Festival due to be celebrated on the 06th October this year. Launched last year to […]
Sheraton Kampala’s Chris Pollard joins Rhino Fund board
SHERATON KAMPALA’S CHRIS POLLARD JOINS RHINO FUND UGANDA BOARD (Posted 15th July 2013) Chris Pollard, General Manager of the Sheraton Kampala Hotel, was today co-opted to serve on the Rhino Fund Board, until the next general meeting of the fund can make the appointment permanent for an initial three year term of office. […]
ETHIOPIAN SET FOR MUNICH FLIGHTS FROM DECEMBER
ETHIOPIAN SET TO ADD MUNICH FROM DECEMBER (Posted 14th July 2013) Information was received from Addis Ababa that Ethiopian Airlines will be opening a second route to Germany from 01st December 2013 onwards, when daily flights to Munich will be launched. It could not be immediately confirmed though which aircraft type ET […]
Weekly roundup of news from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean islands, Second edition July 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 Sorry for the absence of pictures which WordPress has started to eat again of late … You can get your daily news updates […]
Emirates announces more destinations for travellers from Eastern Africa
EMIRATES ANNOUNCES MORE DESTINATIONS (Posted 13th July 2013) A regular source in Nairobi shared additional routes news when confirming that Kiev will be added to the growing network of Eastern European destinations by Dubai’s award winning national airline Emirates, from 16th January 2014 onwards. The aircraft used for the daily flights as per current planning […]
Kampala Serena hosts launch of Uganda’s first Guide application
UGANDA GUIDE APPLICATION FORMALLY LAUNCHED (Posted 13th July 2013) (Courtesy of www.thepearlguide.co.ug) Friday night was the proverbial D-Day for Uganda’s first ever guide application, as The Pearl Guide launched their brainchild at the Kampala Serena Hotel. Available for download through Google Store it is also available via Apple Store and direct download through www.thepearlguide.co.ug/our-mobile-app/ for […]
Ethiopian Airlines B787 ‘Queen of Sheba’ suffers fire damage while parked at Heathrow
DREAMLINER FIRE ROCKS BOEING AND AIRLINES ALIKE (Posted 13th July 2013) The fire on a parked B787 of Ethiopian Airlines at London’s Heathrow Airport has not just caused the temporary closure of the UK’s primary aviation hub, but rocked both Boeing and the airlines flying the world’s most advanced passenger jet once again. Ethiopian […]
Etihad orders an A380 FFS
ETIHAD PUTS PEN TO PAPER FOR AN AIRBUS A380 FFS (Posted 12th July 2013) Word from Abu Dhabi has it that Etihad, Abu Dhabi’s national airline, has ordered their first Airbus A380 full flight simulator, alongside one for the B787 Dreamliner and 5 more for other aircraft types, in an ongoing effort to boost the […]
RwandAir’s Accra flights lead to opening of Ghanaian Consulate in Kigali
RWANDAIR’S ACCRA FLIGHTS LEAD TO OPENING OF CONSULATE IN KIGALI (Posted 12th July 2013) The recent launch of direct flights from Kigali to Accra, via Lagos, by national airline RwandAir, has now resulted in the opening of a Ghanaian consulate in Kigali, strengthening diplomatic relations and improving the ease with which Rwandans can now obtain […]
Seychelles Tourism revamps ‘Seychelles Secrets’ link on their website
SEYCHELLES SECRETS RELOADED (Posted 12th July 2013) As often demonstrated here, emphasis on demonstrated and not just stated, does the Seychelles islands also offer a very affordable component of holidays, besides the of course much better known high end, 5 star resorts of global acclaim, for which the archipelago is best known. ‘Affordable Seychelles’ is […]
Nairobi InterContinental Hotel launched new IHG loyalty programme in Kenya
INTERCONTINENTAL NAIROBI LAUNCHES NEW LOYALTY PROGRAMME (Posted 12th July 2013) The InterContinental Hotel Nairobi earlier this week launched their new loyalty programme, now called IHG Rewards Club, which emerged from the previous Priority Club Rewards. Karl Hala, General Manager of the Nairobi InterContinental and also Director of Operations for Africa for the […]
Amboseli Elephant Trust comes out in support of Soila Sayialel
AMBOSELI TRUST FOR ELEPHANT COMES OUT IN SUPPORT OF SOILA SAYIALEL (Posted 12th July 2013) Although the matter at hand is sub judice in Kenya, has the Amboseli Trust for Elephant come out with a statement of support on behalf of their long time member Soila Sayialel, who alongside her son Robert was arrested […]
Kenya Airways tops punctuality stats at London Heathrow for June
KENYA AIRWAYS TOPS PUNCTUALITY STATS IN HEATHROW (Posted 12th July 2013) Kenya Airways came out tops in terms of on time performance at London Heathrow with 100 percent of all June 2013 departures right on time, while 83 percent of the arriving flights landed as scheduled. The only other African airline coming close to this […]
Hotel Summit East Africa and Kenya Hospitality Trade Fair just two weeks away
TWO WEEKS TO GO TO KENYA HOSPITALITY TRADE FAIR AND HOTEL SUMMIT EAST AFRICA (Posted 11th July 2013) One of East Africa’s premier hotel conferences and trade fairs, Hotel Summit East Africa and the Kenya Hospitality Trade Fair are now just two weeks away, due to kick off on the 25th of July at the […]
RTTA hosts Kenyan counterparts for a flying visit to Kigali
RWANDAN TOURISM STAKEHOLDERS HOST KENYAN COUNTERPARTS IN KIGALI (Posted 11th July 2013) The Land of a Thousand Hills offers within its borders a range of tourism attractions unique to Eastern Africa and it is no wonder that Rwanda’s tourism stakeholders are keen to get that message out and forge partnerships with other countries in the […]
Kenya seeks stronger ties with Abu Dhabi following launch of KQ flights
KENYA SET TO BUILD TOURISM & TRADE RELATIONS ON THE BACK OF ABU DHABI FLIGHTS (Posted 11th July 2013) Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Transport and Infrastructure, while in Abu Dhabi last week to represent the Kenyan government at the formal launch celebrations of KQ’s flights to the capital city of the United Arab Emirates, wasted […]
Ngamba Island the scene of setting African Grey parrots free
JANE GOODALL SETS SEIZED PARROTS FREE ON NGAMBA ISLAND (Posted 11th July 2013) The latest visit by Dr. Jane Goodall to Ngamba Island, Uganda’s chimpanzee refuge in Lake Victoria, was full of action as she released 17 surviving African Grey parrots into the wild, after an additional four months quarantine period of monitoring their health […]
New tarmac road to open up Semliki game reserve and national park
NEW ROAD TO SEMLIKI A BONUS FOR TOURISTS (Posted 10th July 2013) The new road from Fort Portal, located at the north eastern side of the Rwenzori Mountains, to Semliki and the border with the Congo DR, will upon completion open up this part of Uganda, for locals as much as for tourist visitors. Recent […]
Rwanda first in EAC to have overland busses equipped with wireless internet
RWANDA LIVES UP TO BEING EAST AFRICA’S BEST CONNECTED COUNTRY (Posted 10th July 2013) Rwanda’s reputation to being East Africa’s most tech savvy country and the best connected country took a further boost, when it was learned that the Jaguar bus company, based in Kigali, has started to equip their entire fleet with routers, permitting […]
Kenya customs nab more blood ivory
KENYAN AUTHORITIES IMPOUND YET MORE BLOOD IVORY (Posted 10th July 2013) Following the discovery of a 20 foot container originating in Uganda last week, which stuffed with ivory was waiting to be shipped to the Far East, did Kenyan authorities yesterday nab yet more, hidden in a 40 foot container due to leave for Malaysia […]
Ethiopian Airlines partners with Malawi government to form Malawian Airlines
ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES CREATES ‘MALAWIAN AIRLINES’ IN JOINT VENTURE WITH MALAWI (Posted 10th July 2013) The government of Malawi, holding 51 percent of the shares, and Ethiopian Airlines, the erstwhile Pan African carrier, holding 49 percent, have according to information from Addis Ababa finalized the creation of a new national airline in the Southern African country, […]
Emirates set to fly the A380 to Mauritius from 16th December onwards
EMIRATES GETS APPROVAL TO FLY THE A380 TO MAURITIUS (Posted 09th July 2013) Information was just confirmed, at no other place than the Routes Africa meeting which just ended at Kampala’s lakeside resort and conference complex of Munyonyo, that Emirates has obtained regulatory approval to start operating the giant Airbus A380 to the island from […]
Mozambique Airports announce major investments in ‘new’ Nacala airport
MOZAMBIQUE ANNOUNCES NACALA AIRPORT RE-CONSTRUCTION AT ROUTES AFRICA (Posted 09th July 2013) Emmanuel Chaves, Chairman and CEO of Airports Mozambique, aka Aeroportos de Mocambique, announced during the Routes Africa meetings that the airport of Nacala in the North of the country will be fundamentally reconstructed, expanded and upgrades, to be able to receive long haul […]
Seychelles claim Routes Africa’s Best Destination Marketing Award
SEYCHELLES TAKES ROUTES AFRICA DESTINATION MARKETING AWARD (Posted 09th July 2013) Few had any doubts of the outcome of this contest, when the Seychelles were crowned winner of the annual Destination Marketing Award by Routes Africa, which ended this morning in Kampala with final presentation to the delegates by Kenya Airways and FastJet after three […]
From Lake Victoria to Victoria Falls as Routes Africa announces venue for 2014
ROUTES AFRICA ENDS 3 DAY MEETINGS ON A HIGH (Posted 10th July 2013) Presentations this morning by Kenya Airways and FastJet ended three days of intense and often outright captivating meetings at Kampala’s lake side resort of Munyonyo, which, according to all delegates, provided ‘the best environment for a conference one could wish for’. This […]
South Sudan’s tourism seriously affected by attack on Boma National Park
CONFLICTS TURN TOURISM INTO A HIGHLY ENDANGERED SPECIES IN SOUTH SUDAN (Posted 07th July 2013) Once thought of as Africa’s last safari and expedition frontier, attracting huge attention following the features on National Geographic TV ‘The Great Migrations’ has South Sudan’s tourism industry been made captive and held hostage by events beyond the sector’s sphere […]
Common tourist Visa for East Africa still a distant dream
MORE EXCUSES FOR FAILURE TO IMPLEMENT COMMON TOURIST VISA (Posted 08th July 2013) The just concluded meeting of the East African Community’s Committee on Tourism and Wildlife once more discussed the long overdue common tourist Visa, which was due to have been introduced by 2012, and that number having been pushed from previously envisaged […]
