Rwanda’s museums and monuments – a glimpse into long gone days
RWANDA’S MUSEUMS – INSIGHTS FROM THE DIRECTOR GENERAL (Making a point with a passion – INMR Director General Alphonese B. Umuliisa) ‘Discover your museums, Cherish your heritage’ are the opening words on the INMR’s website, written by the Director General of the Institute of the National Museums of Rwanda Alphonese Umuliisa. He goes on to […]
Chumbe Island Coral Park continues to be ranked number 1
CHUMBE ISLAND CORAL PARK ONCE MORE GETS TRIPADVISOR’S TOP RATING Like in previous years has the Chumbe Island Coral Park once more been awarded by TripAdvisor with their coveted ‘Certificate of Excellence’ for consistently scoring the highest marks from visitors to this unique tourism attraction. For long ranked as undisputed number one attraction, out of […]
FastJet reportedly posts 56 million US Dollar loss
FASTJET IN REPORTED 56 MILLION US DOLLAR LOSS Disquieting news are making the rounds in East Africa’s aviation observer circles, that FastJet has reportedly suffered a massive 56 million US Dollar loss for their financial year, wiping out much of the share and venture capital sunk into the ‘fly cheap dream turned nightmare’ for the […]
Air Seychelles inks code share deal with Czech Airlines to Prague
MORE CODESHARE DEALS BY AIR SEYCHELLES OPEN UP EASTERN EUROPE The announcement, only days after formally signing a deal with partner airline Etihad to open the Australian market through code shared flights to Melbourne and Sydney, that Air Seychelles has now inked a strategic partnership with Czech Airlines, allowing for initially three flights a week […]
Seychelles bid for UNWTO Executive Committee membership gets boost
SEYCHELLES BID FOR UNWTO EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP GETS BOOST (Posted 04th June 2013) Seychelles’ efforts to get elected to the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s Executive Committee last weekend got another boost, when Madagascar threw their support behind the Seychelles bid to represent Africa. Madagascar’s Minister responsible for Tourism, Mr. Jean-Max Rakotomamonjy publicly announced that […]
Air Tanzania launches scheduled flights to Tabora
AIR TANZANIA ADDS TABORA TO NETWORK (Posted 04th June 2013 Last Saturday saw the return of Air Tanzania to Tabora, using the airline’s Bombardier Q300 aircraft on the route. ATCL will serve the destination initially three times a week, twice nonstop from Dar es Salaam on Monday’s and Saturdays’ while the Thursday flight will route […]
KTF’s Agatha Juma elected to Board of EABC
KTF’S AGATHA JUMA GETS ELECTED TO THE EAST AFRICAN BUSINESS COUNCIL BOARD (Posted 04th June 2013) The Chief Executive of the Kenya Tourism Federation, Mrs. Agatha Juma, was over the weekend elected to the Board of the East African Business Council in Arusha, the main private sector representative body at the level of the East […]
Ethiopian close to new deal with Boeing for up to 6 more B787’s
ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES CLOSE TO SIGNING NEW DEAL WITH BOEING FOR MORE B787’S? According to a regular source from Addis Ababa there is growing speculation that Ethiopian Airlines, Africa’s leading airline, is pondering additional orders for Boeing’s B787 Dreamliner, inspite of another battery incident reported in the media two days ago when a sensor in the […]
Kwita Izina – Africa’s number one Festival of the Gorillas
KWITA IZINA ANTE PORTAS (Most recent visit to the Sabinyo group of which Umutungo, whom I named last year, is a member) All over Rwanda did the large posters go up last weekend, reminding the country that the annual Festival of the Gorillas, aka Kwita Izina, is now just weeks away. This year, in its […]
Air Seychelles gets access to Australia’s market through Etihad code share agreement
AIR SEYCHELLES’ PARTNERSHIP WITH ETIHAD OPENS AUSTRALIA ROUTES Air Seychelles has confirmed that they have just signed a code share deal with partner airline Etihad, Abu Dhabi’s national airline, to open up the Australian market for the archipelago. The new arrangement offers seamless connections, through one of the daily joint flights between Mahe and Abu […]
Mombasa runway closure delays flights
KENYA AIRPORT AUTHORITY BLAMED FOR MOMBASA FLIGHT CHAOS The closure of the single runway at Mombasa’s Moi International Airport for several hours yesterday morning, information received speaks of the time between 05.30 a.m. to at least 09.30 a.m., in other words for 4 hours, appears to have caught several airlines by surprise. Flights out of […]
Kenya’s latest anti poaching emergency law cited as serious deterrent against wildlife slaughter
KENYA’S PARLIAMENT PASSES EMERGENCY MEASURES AGAINST POACHING (Posted 02nd June 2013) Kenya’s parliament, of late under intense scrutiny and attack by the electorate over their elaborate attempts to increase their salaries just weeks into their term of office, has for a change been receiving praise and kudos. Earlier in the week were emergency measures put […]
Kenya Airways signs expanded codeshare deal with SkyTeam partner China Southern
KENYA AIRWAYS EXPANDS CODESHARE WITH CHINA SOUTHERN Sources close to Kenya Airways have confirmed that the airline has signed a revised and expanded codeshare agreement with fellow SkyTeam member China Southern. The deal will become operational from 01st of August this year and will cover an expanded list of destinations for Kenya Airways passengers, who […]
Routes Africa 2013 preparations in final push towards Kampala meeting
ROUTES AFRICA REPORTS KEEN INTEREST AMONG TOP AIRLINES AND AVIATION ORGANS (Posted 02nd June 2013) Uganda’s Minister for Tourism Maria Mutagamba will formally open the Routes Africa 2013 meeting, which will bring together leading airlines, airports, tourism authorities and related services in the lake side resort of Munyonyo between July 07 – 09. Keynote speaker […]
Martyr’s Day – Uganda’s premier event for pilgrimage tourism
MARTY’S DAY BRINGS THOUSANDS OF RELIGIOUS TOURISTS TO UGANDA (Posted 02nd June 2013) They came by air, they came by bus, they came by car and they came by foot, in their thousands, to attend the annual Martyr’s Day celebrations at the Namugongo Shrine outside the Ugandan capital of Kampala. As every year, Catholic faithful […]
RwandAir launches commercial flights to Accra
RWANDAIR LAUNCHES COMMERCIAL FLIGHTS TO ACCRA (Posted 02nd June) RwandAir yesterday launched their first commercial flight from Kigali to Accra. Extending their regular flight routing to Lagos, which is being served 5 times a week already, to the capital of Ghana, the new route will further strengthen the links Rwanda has been developing with West […]
Weekly roundup of news from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean islands, First edition June 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 […]
Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary reports new birth
RHINO NUMBER 16 ‘ARRIVES’ AT ZIWA RHINO SANCTUARY Breaking news just in from the Rhino Fund Uganda confirms that another rhino baby was born on the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary overnight. Nandi, donated some years ago by the Disney Animal Kingdom in Florida to the Rhino Fund Uganda, now had her third baby since she arrived […]
Mass Tourism? What Mass Tourism?
MASS TOURISM? WHAT MASS TOURISM? Local media reports about the Seychelles being turned in to a ‘mass tourism destination’ met with acid comments to this correspondent, all suggesting that the writer had absolutely no clue about the concept of mass tourism, what mass tourism constitutes and what in stark contrast the Seychelles’ tourism industry did […]
St. Ange re-elected as Vanilla Island cooperation president
ALAIN ST. ANGE GETS ANOTHER TERM AS VANILLA ISLAND COOPERATION PRESIDENT Madagascar, La Reunion, Mayotte and the Comoros have during the just concluded annual meeting of the Vanilla Island cooperation proposed, and subsequently voted, that Seychelles’ Minister for Tourism and Culture, Alain St. Ange, should serve a second term of office for the organization. St. […]
Porini / Gamewatchers launch newsletter
PORINI CAMPS LAUNCH MONTHLY NEWSLETTER One of Kenya’s leading sustainable tourism businesses, Gamewatcher Safaris and Porini Safari Camps, have just announced the launch of ‘… in the Wilds …’, their dedicated e-newsletter now sent to their faithful clientele from all around the world on a monthly basis, through which a wealth of information will be […]
Conservation lobby beat land grab attempt at Nairobi National Park
CONSERVATION LOBBY BEATS THE ODDS TO HALT NATIONAL PARK LAND GRAB Dr. Paula Kahumbu and her co-plaintiffs EAWLS and ANEW have yesterday made a permanent mark on environmental protection in Kenya, when the National Environment Tribunal ruled in their favour over the suspected encroachment of the so called Southern Bypass into the Nairobi National Park. […]
KWS launches country wide crackdown on poachers and illegal herders
KENYA WILDLIFE SERVICE ROLLS OUT NATIONWIDE ANTI POACHING BATTLE Following the publication of details that another four rhinos were poached over the past two weeks, 21 overall this year already in Kenya, and at least 117 elephant butchered for their tusks – at least that is the officially confirmed figure which conservation sources claim could […]
Kenya Airways boosts Eldoret services
KENYA AIRWAYS SET FOR DOUBLE DAILY TO ELDORET Information from Nairobi has confirmed Kenya Airways’ intention to commence double daily services between Nairobi and the Western Kenyan town of Eldoret, effective 02nd June. Currently KQ operates 11 times a week on the route and the addition of three more flights on Monday, Tuesday and Sunday […]
Will Qatar Airways’ pullout from Seychelles mark a turning point for Gulf aviation?
COMPETITION AMONG GULF AIRLINES PRODUCES FIRST FAULT LINES The announcement by Qatar Airways to withdraw from the Seychelles route, a destination they have served uninterrupted since 2004, has sent out signals to aviation observers, that this may constitute a turning point in the hitherto relentless march of the three Gulf giants towards expansion, adding new […]
Kenya hit by nationwide power outage
KENYA POWER PLUNGES COUNTRY INTO DRAKNESS Kenyan businesses were left reeling yesterday when the country was hit with the worst power outage since 2000, lasting for several hours before, very gradually, electricity supply was restored. Political pundits immediately raised the question if foul play was involved in this major incident, which will cost the business […]
A return to Nyungwe Forest National Park
NYUNGWE, A RETURN TO THE ENCHANTED FOREST Few places fuel my imagination as does the Nyungwe Forest National Park, with over 1.000 square kilometres the largest still intact montane forest in Eastern and Central Africa. It’s unique location, adjoining Burundi’s Kibira Transfrontier National Park, makes it part of Africa’ largest continuous protected forest area. The […]
Qatar Airways signals end to Seychelles flights
QATAR AIRWAYS ANNOUNCES PULL OUT FROM SEYCHELLES Tourism industry sources reacted with shock and incredulity when news broke over the weekend that Qatar Airways, presently serving Mahe with a daily flight, using an Airbus A320, will be ceasing operations into the archipelago come September this year. Sources on the island, probably for fear of repercussions […]
Leopard Beach is joined by Swahili Beach in TripAdvisor recognition
LEOPARD BEACH IS JOINED BY SWAHILI BEACH IN ANNUAL TRIPADVISOR RECOGNITION Two of Kenya’s leading beach resorts, the much acclaimed Leopard Beach Resort and Spa and the nearby Swahili Beach – the latter the first new hotel opened in December 2011 for over 15 years at the Diani Beach stretch of the south coast – […]
Madagascar’s second International Tourism Fair opens on 30th of May
2ND INTERNATIONAL TOURISM TRADE FAIR SET FOR MAY 30 TO JUNE 01 Next weekend will see the second edition of the Madagascar International Tourism Fair take place in the island’s capital of Antananarivo, which has already since its inception received the full support of other Vanilla Island partners as a key event on the annual […]
