Mauritius’ tourism revenues in Q1 of 2013 down by over 12 percent
MAURITIUS TOURISM REVENUES DOWN BY 12 PERCENT IN FIRST QUARTER Figures just out about Mauritius’ tourism revenues, which show a decline of arrivals during Q1 of 2013 by 12.4 percent, have caused a storm of outrage across the island’s tourism sector, and from calls and emails it is clear that the knives are now out […]
Not Leakey’s finest hour …
An opinion about the response to Save the Serengeti’s letter seeking clarification on the proposal for an elevated highway across the Serengeti. LEAKEY DISCREDITS HIMSELF WITH RESPONSE ABOUT CONCERNS RAISED Following the revelations that Dr. Richard Leakey had waded into the Serengeti Highway debate with a hair brained proposal to build a flyover highway across […]
Etihad commences Amsterdam flights, takes over key service companies at Abu Dhabi airport
ETIHAD LAUNCHES AMSTERDAM FLIGHTS Travelers from Nairobi / Kenya, presently the only East Africa destination Etihad, Abu Dhabi’s national airline is serving, now have the added option when travelling to Amsterdam to route via the capital city of the United Arab Emirates, as the airline launched flights to the Netherlands last weekend. The daily flights […]
Tourism Uganda gets new board and the promise of the tourism levy becoming reality
JAMES TUMUSIIME APPOINTED NEW CHAIRMAN OF UGANDA TOURISM BOARD In a marked departure from past practice, when often political considerations influenced the appointment of members of the Board of Directors of Tourism Uganda, has the Minister for Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities Hon. Maria Mutagamba announced a team of seasoned professionals comprising leading industry representatives to […]
Report demands action from Tanzanian government on China connection
POACHING REPORT DEMANDS GOVERNMENT ACTION ON CHINA CONNECTION The following media report by Florian Kaijage is repeated here in full to have readers appreciate what others have to say about the poaching tsunami which has hit Tanzania: Dar’s secret poaching report implicates China BY FLORIAN KAIJAGE, 18th May 2013, http://www.ippmedia.com/frontend/index.php?l=54837 Investment relations between China and […]
Serengeti Highway in the news again as Leakey proposes ‘elevated highway’
SERENGETI HIGHWAY SUGGESTIONS BY RICHARD LEAKEY CALLED LUNATIC EXPRESS 2.0 Hitherto respected conservationist Dr. Richard Leakey earned himself howls of laughter, mockery and acid comments from around the world, when – beware the power of the internet – his suggestions to build an elevated highway across the Serengeti became more widely known and went viral […]
First off and now on again – the U-turns of Mauritius’ position on festivals
OFF AGAIN AND ON AGAIN – MORE U-TURNS BY MAURITIUS TOURISM CONFUSE MARKET In yet another U-turn of sorts has the Mauritius Tourism Minister Michael Sik Yuen over the weekend announced that the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority will after all hold a festival later this year, known as the Festival of the Sea. Only a […]
Weekly roundup of news from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean region, Third edition May 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 […]
Brussels Airlines teams up with RwandAir for ‘Flying Visit to Nairobi’
BRUSSELS AIRLINES AND RWANDAIR ORGANIZE FLYING VISIT TO NAIROBI During the just ended week did Brussels Airlines, in conjunction with codeshare partner RwandAir, operate a flying visit from Kigali to Nairobi, showcasing their award winning business class and inflight service to a group of 14 Rwandan travel agents. Both the RCAA and the KCAA granted […]
Air Seychelles slashes cargo rates between Mahe and Praslin by 40 percent
AIR SEYCHELLES SLASHES DOMESTIC CARGO RATES Information received from Mahe speaks of a 40 percent reduction in tariffs for shipments of cargo by air from the main international airport to the island of Praslin, an offer mainly aimed at hospitality businesses in urgent need of time critical deliveries. A kilogramme of cargo will from next […]
Quo Vadis Air Tanzania – government and opposition clash in parliament over ATCL’s future
OPPOSITION IN PARLIAMENT DEMANDS AIR TANZANIA TO BE DECLARED BANKRUPT Sharp differences in opinion emerged in the Tanzanian parliament this week, when the Minister for Transport Dr. Harrison Mwakyembe moved his ministry’s budget for the financial year 2013/14. When touching on the budget provisions for Air Tanzania, he painted a glowing picture to the house […]
The Aberdare Country Club brings horse riding back
ABERDARE COUNTRY CLUB BRINGS HORSE RIDING BACK The Aberdare Country Club, a favourite of this correspondent for many decades already, has since the re-opening last year seen its fortunes rise and aficionados return in their droves. Set in over 1.300 acres of a private game sanctuary, the club features a 9 hole ‘safari golf course’ […]
Chobe and Paraa Lodges become Gold Sponsors of Brussels Airlines’ Bike For Africa event 2014
MARASA BECOME GOLD SPONSORS OF BRUSSELS AIRLINES ‘BIKE FOR AFRICA’ EVENT Paraa and Chobe Safari lodges, owned and operated by Marasa, the hospitality arm of the Madhvani Group in Uganda, have just signed up to become Gold Sponsors for Brussels Airlines’ ‘Bike For Africa’ charity cycling race planned for the period of 28th January to […]
MV Spice Islander charge sheet cites 2.740 casualties in the world’s worst maritime disaster
COURT CASE OF MV SPICE ISLANDER REVEALS SHOCKING NUMBERS OF CASUALTIES Prosecutors in Zanzibar are finalizing their paperwork in a case against eleven individuals to stand trial on manslaughter charges over what has turned out to be the world’s worst peacetime maritime disaster on record. The MV Spice Islander, as reported here at the time […]
TOTAL drops exploration plans for the Virunga National Park
REPRIEVE FOR THE VIRUNGA PARK AS FRENCH OIL GIANT TOTAL DROPS OIL EXPLORATION In a breaking news story has information come to light that the French oil company TOTAL has today, through its CEO and Chairman Christophe de Margerie, made a firm commitment to respect the integrity of the national park and drop all plans […]
Mtwara tense as shops remain closed and security forces deploy in town and at airport
MTWARA ‘VERY TENSE’ THOUGH FLIGHTS CONTINUE, FOR NOW Information has come to light from sources in Tanzania that the town of Mtwara, recently in the news over increasingly acrimonious exchanges between the local population and their leaders and the central government over plans to build a gas pipeline for gas to Dar es Salaam instead […]
Kenya Airways’ Pride Centre gets IATA approvals
KENYA AIRWAYS’ PRIDE CENTRE GETS IATA NOD OF APPROVAL Kenya Airways’ inhouse training facility, the Pride Centre, located at the airline’s Embakasi headquarters, has recently been given recognition and approval by IATA, which certified the training college after an audit of facilities, teacher’s qualifications and the curriculum taught. Two years ago the Pride Centre was […]
Lamu’s mangrove forests under siege
LAMU’S MANGROVE FORESTS UNDER INCREASED THREAT Conservationists in Kenya have raised the alarm over the rapid cutting down of mangrove forests around the Lamu archipelago. A senior official at the Kenya Forest Service, one Donald Avude, has come out with all guns blazing as he painted a grim picture on the destruction of mangrove forests […]
Ethiopian Airlines named Official Carrier for African Union Golden Jubilee year
ETHIOPIAN NAMED OFFICIAL CARRIER FOR AFRICAN UNION GOLDEN JUBILEE YEAR Africa this year celebrates the 50th anniversary of the formation of the Organization for African Unity, in short OAU, which was later renamed to the African Union. The headquarters of the continental organization have since the inception 50 years ago been located in Addis Ababa, […]
Qatar Airways resumes London flights with the B787 Dreamliner
QATAR AIRWAYS RESUMES B787 FLIGHTS TO LONDON HEATHROW Qatar Airways’ sales teams have been blitzing the East African markets of Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda with news, that the airline has resumed their Doha to London flights with the B787 Dreamliner, the first B787 destination outside the Gulf since the FAA and global regulators lifted […]
Kwita Izina 2013 set for 22nd June as Rwanda government introduces new draft tourism bill
RWANDA GOVERNMENT INTRODUCES NEW DRAFT TOURISM BILL TO PARLIAMENT Rwanda’s government yesterday presented a new draft tourism bill to parliament, aimed to strengthen the sector through better regulations and legal provisions. The tourism sector, presently overseen by the Rwanda Development Board’s Tourism and Conservation Department, has developed in leaps and bounds in recent years, recording […]
Fastjet owes answers to Tweeps over aborted take offs
FASTJET REPORTEDLY ABORTS TAKEOFF TWICE ON MWANZA FLIGHT Questions asked but not answered on Twitter about an allegedly twice aborted takeoff only served to turn over the rumour mill faster about the reasons for the failure of flight FN 0163 on the 13th of May to successfully take off from Dar es Salaam’s Julius Nyerere […]
Kenya’s new minister in charge of tourism sworn in
KENYA’S NEW TOURISM MINISTER SWORN IN Mrs. Phyllis Kandie was yesterday sworn in as Kenya’s new Minister for East African Affairs, Commerce and Tourism, combining the previously stand alone ministry with, what tourism stakeholders described as ‘very alien bedfellows’, namely Commerce and East African Affairs. There was wide speculation after the election results were announced, […]
Africa airline competition heats up some more as SAA set to get 20 more brand new A320’s
AIRLINE COMPETITION SET TO HEAT UP AS SOUTH AFRICAN GETS 20 MORE AIRBUS A320’S The news coming from Johannesburg, that South African Airways is due to take progressive delivery of 20 Airbus A320 aircraft, will serve as a reminder for other African airlines that sitting still, or pronouncing the delivery of 10 or 15 year […]
Briatore eyes third resort project in Malindi
BRIATORE’S LOVE AFFAIR WITH MALINDI CONTINUES AS THIRD RESORT IN THE OFFING While in Malindi last weekend to see the progress on his ‘Billionaire’s Resort’, which is due to fully open in August this year, did Flavio Briatore let the cat out of the bag, that he was planning to build another resort next year, […]
Dirk Ten Brink retires as Rhino Fund Chairman
DIRK TEN BRINK RETIRES AS CHAIRMAN OF RHINO FUND Dirk Ten Brink, best known in Uganda for his long service first as General Manager and then Director of Group Operations (Golden Leaves Hotels) at the Sheraton Kampala Hotel, has an almost equally long association with the Rhino Fund Uganda. It was Dirk who joined hands […]
KCAA re-certifies JKIA in accordance with ICAO requirements
JOMO KENYATTA RECEIVES RE-CERTIFICATION FROM KCAA The Kenya Civil Aviation Authority has recently re-certified Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in accordance with guidelines issued by the International Civil Aviation Organization, in short ICAO. The initial certification for JKIA was granted in 2008 and KAA has since been regularly inspected and issued with renewals, now a mandatory […]
Tourism stakeholders voice disagreement over TTB’s Swahili Tourism Fair concept
TOURISM STAKEHOLDERS TAKE ISSUE WITH TOURIST BOARD DECISIONS Information is coming to light from Arusha, that tourism stakeholders have sharply criticized the Tanzania Tourist Board over their decision to engage a South African company as partners to set up a rival tourism trade fair in Dar es Salaam. TTB was accused to have engaged the […]
Briatore’s Billionaire’s Resort in Malindi set for August opening
BRIATORE’S BILLIONAIRE RESORT SET FOR AUGUST LAUNCH Flavio Briatore’s 500 million Kenya Shilling investment in the Billionaire Resort will pay off when the new luxury resort in Kenya’s seaside town of Malindi will open its doors to the owners of the apartments in August this year. Briatore, the former Renault F1 team boss before having […]
Precision Air introduces new logo to the market
PRECISION AIR LAUNCHES NEW LOGO Tanzania’s premier private airline, Precision, has just unveiled their revised logo, which while based on their previous showcase now looks fresher and simpler, yet retaining the company’s corporate colours and their trademark gazelle. The airline operates a mixed fleet of B737-300, ATR 42 and ATR 72 aircraft, including the latest […]
