Seychelles ranked best Indian Ocean island performer by World Economic Forum
WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM RANKS SEYCHELLES TOP OF INDIAN OCEAN ISLANDS The lastest rankings of the World Economic Forum has put the Seychelles in place 38 and named the archipelago the Number One in the region, ahead of other island nations like Mauritius, which only managed to make it to number 58 in the region, down […]
Kenya’s hospitality sector expects swift recovery after elections blues is over
TOURISM GURUS EXPECT SWIFT RECOVERY AFTER PEACEFUL ELECTIONS IN KENYA While the ‘who is who’ of Kenya’s tourism industry is wrapping up their participation in the world’s greatest tourism fair, ITB Berlin, have a number of them expressed their confidence that the depressed room occupancies, as a result of the elections being held back home, […]
Weekly roundup of news from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean region, Second edition March 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 breaking news updates instantly via Twitter by following @whthome, join me on www.facebook.com/WolfgangHThome where the articles also ‘cross load’ or […]
Kenya’s IEBC announces election winner
LIKE FATHER LIKE SON – KENYATTA BECOMES KENYA’S FOURTH PRESIDENT The declaration of the final results in the presidential elections in Kenya has just been made, at shortly after 14.40 pm on Saturday, March 09th of 2013, 5 days after the landmark elections on Monday. The trend visible since the early provisional results were announced […]
CITES fingers China, Vietnam, Thailand and Tanzania among others
TANZANIA LISTED ALONGSIDE CHINA, VIETNAM AND THAILAND FOR IVORY SANCTIONS It was learned overnight through communications from sources attending the CITES Conference in Bangkok / Thailand that the global anger and outrage over the steady flow of blood ivory from Africa to Asia is now finally turning into some action, as CITES has threatened China, […]
Air Seychelles turns the corner with a million US Dollar profit
AIR SEYCHELLES TURNS A MILLION DOLLAR PROFIT Air Seychelles CEO Cramer Ball used the opportunity, when President James Alix Michel officially commissioned the national airline’s second Airbus A330-200 earlier in the week, to announce the airline’s financial results had dramatically improved, turning a million US Dollar profit, compared to the life threatening losses the airline […]
Laurier Hotel & Restaurant on Praslin suffers fire damage
PRASLIN HOTEL FIRE PUT OUT WITH HELP OF AIRPORT FIRE BRIGADE Information was received from the Seychellois island of Praslin, that an accidental fire, caused reportedly by a neighbour of the Laurier Hotel who carelessly burned rubbish in his back yard, seriously damaged 6 of the hotel’s cottages. As luck in this misfortune had it […]
FastJet now runs to English courts in dispute with Fly540
The ‘as seen through other eyes’ contributions continue with this piece found at ATW Online. Readers can make up their own minds, and those disgruntled ones whose feathers I apparently keep ruffling, perhaps you start your own blog where you can make your views known, not that I will read it. Fastjet turns to UK […]
Where did the money for the slot sales in Heathrow go, asks Sudan’s Bashir
SUDAN AIRWAYS LOSS OF HEATHROW SLOTS PROMPTS UPROAR IN KHARTOUM Sudanese regime leader Bashir was quoted in local media reports in Khartoum, demanding the slots previously held by Sudan Airways at London’s Heathrow airport to be either returned to the airline or else the airline be given the money from the apparent sale of these […]
Mauritius tourism minister given party leash over Desvaux sacking
MAURITIUS TOURISM MINISTER GETS THE PARTY STICK WHILE AT ITB Information from Port Louis indicates that while the Mauritius Tourism Minister Michael Sik Yuen is out of country to attend the world’s leading tourism fair, ITB in Berlin, at the home front dark clouds are now hanging over him as his party has installed a […]
SCAA installs new DVOR system at Praslin Airport
NEW AIR NAVIGATION EQUIPMENT GOES OPERATIONAL ON PRASLIN Seychelles second airport on the island of Praslin, destination for dozens of flights from the main island of Mahe every week by twin engined turboprob aircraft, has now received brand new navigation equipment, which recently went operational, identical to new equipment also now in use at the […]
Air Seychelles adds second A330-200 to fleet, ready to launch Hong Kong flights
A330-200 ‘VALLEE DE MAI’ MAKES MAIDEN ARRIVAL AT MAHE INTERNATIONAL All eyes went skyward on the Seychelles’ main island of Mahe yesterday around 13.30 local time as Air Seychelles’ second Airbus A330-200, named Vallee de Mai after the most visited tourism site on the islands, overflew the island from several directions before finally landing at […]
Kenya Airways set to fly to Livingstone / Zambia from June
KENYA AIRWAYS TO COMMENCE FLIGHTS TO LIVINGSTONE News are coming out of Nairobi that The Pride of Africa will launch flights to Livingstone / Zambia in June, then routing on to Harare / Zimbabwe. The available schedule information pegs the operations between 02nd of June until initially 25th October, but if successful might extend further […]
Seychelles population for the first time ever moves above 90.000
SEYCHELLES TOTAL POPULATION NOW TOUCHES 91.000 The Seychelles’ last population census figures released a few days ago confirmed that the overall population now stands at nearly 91.000, a figure small in global comparison where most towns are larger than the archipelago’s entire population. Victoria, one of the world’s smallest capital cities, often appears to visitors […]
Ethiopian to launch Ndola and Blantyre by end March
ETHIOPIAN ADDS NDOLA AND BLANTYRE Information was received from a source in Addis Ababa that Ethiopian Airlines will launch 3 times a week flights to Ndola / Zambia combined with Blantyre / Malawi, effective March 31st. The addition of the two Southern African destinations will cement Ethiopian’s present lead over closest continental rival, in terms […]
FastJet’s woes as seen through other eyes
As the flood of unsolicited offensive and threatening mails and foulmouthed comments on my blog site continue to flow in, attributed by a few misguided individuals who clearly have their own agenda or speak for their masters on either side of the aisle, it is always refreshing to see the opinions about FastJet from other […]
PMSD ‘forgives’ Tourism Minister Michael Sik Yuen his ‘misbehaviour’
SACKING OF MTPA CHAIRMAN CALLED ‘MISBEHAVIOUR’ BY MINISTER’S PARTY The recent sacking of Robert Desvaux from his position as Chairman of the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority by the island’s Minister of Tourism Michael Sik Yuen has been described by the party spokesperson as the minister having ‘misbehaved [but] after presenting his excuses everything has come […]
Another crash in Goma with at least 3 dozen dead worsens Congo’s aviation record
ANOTHER PLANE CRASH IN GOMA SHAKES CONGO TRAVELERS A Fokker 50 aircraft, owned and operated by Congolese private airline CAA – Compagnie Africaine d’Aviation crashed this afternoon while attempting to land in Goma after failing to make it to the runway, killing at least 36 crew and passengers on board with four seriously injured pulled […]
Interview with the Seychelles Minister for Tourism and Culture, the Hon. Alain St. Ange
Read the lastest updates about all aspects of Seychelles tourism from the proverbial horse’s mouth in a fresh and hot off the press interview. INTERVIEW WITH SEYCHELLES’ MINISTER FOR TOURISM AND CULTURE ALAIN ST. ANGE Published here is an interview held with the Minister at his offices in Victoria: Dear Minister St. Ange, good day […]
Kenya goes to the polls as optimism rules for peaceful conduct
THE BATTLE OF THE SONS RELOADED 50 YEARS DOWN THE LINE – IN PEACE THIS TIME Kenya’s long awaited general election is underway since 7 am local time and while there are 6 levels of elected offices to decide about, all eyes are today on the two main protagonists, who renew the battle of their […]
RwandAir – turning dreams into reality
RWANDAIR – WHERE DREAM HAS TURNED INTO REALITY While in Rwanda last week news emerged from the corridors of RwandAir, that Accra / Ghana will become the airline’s 15th destination by latest June this year, adding yet another West African gateway to Lagos, Libreville and Brazzaville. The move shows that the expansion drive of Rwanda’s […]
Air Seychelles and STB sign extensive new MoU
SEYCHELLES TOURISM BOARD AND AIR SEYCHELLES SIGN MOU Last Friday saw the long in the making signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding between the Seychelles Tourism Board and national airline Air Seychelles. CEO’s Mrs. Elsia Grandcourt and Cramer Ball put pen to paper to ink the most extensive agreement signed todate between the two […]
Weekly roundup of news from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean region, First edition March 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 breaking news updates instantly via Twitter by following @whthome, join me on www.facebook.com/WolfgangHThome where the articles also ‘cross load’ or […]
Mauritius tourism arrivals in 2012 just fractionally higher than in 2011
MAURITIUS TOURISM ARRIVALS FOR 2012 DESCRIBED AS ‘FLAT’ Unfavourable market conditions in the main producer markets of France, Italy, the UK and Germany were cited as reasons for the flat performance in terms of tourism arrivals, as Mauritius announced the 2012 end year figures yesterday. Arrival grew by a token 0.1 percent from 964.642 in […]
Destination Rwanda – So much more than just gorillas
DESTINATION RWANDA – SO MUCH MORE THAN ‘JUST GORILLAS’ (The view to Paradis Malahide’s own private island across the water from the resort … idyllic, tranquil, serene) A return to The Land of a Thousand Hills, aka Rwanda, is always an eye opener and unlike many other visitors, who come as one time tourists, or […]
Kenyans dismiss suggestions the migration would leave out the Mara
KENYAN WILDLIFE EXPERTS DISMISS SUGGESTIONS OF ‘MISSING MIGRATION’ AS NONSENSE Two Kenyan wildlife and conservation experts have dismissed with prejudiceas one of them put it in an overnight communication, suggestions floated in the Tanzanian media that the annual migration may not reach Kenya’s Masai Mara later this year. ‘I have no idea what the quoted […]
Emirates announces second A380 frequency to Sydney from June
EMIRATES ANNOUNCES SECOND DAILY A380 FREQUENCY TO SYDNEY A regular source from the Kampala office of Emirates, Dubai’s award winning airline, has confirmed that from 01st of June onwards they will operate a second daily Airbus A380 nonstop flight between Dubai and Sydney. The move will add nearly 1.900 extra seats per week on the […]
South Sudan launches Civil Aviation Authority
SOUTH SUDAN ESTABLISHES INDEPENDENT CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has earlier this week issued a decree, establishing the country’s Civil Aviation Authority while at the same time appointing General Agasio Akol as the first chairman of the board, overseeing the new aviation body alongside 6 other members. SSCAA will now seek formal […]
Serengeti benefits from global recognition
SERENGETI’S NEW SEVEN NATURAL WONDERS OF THE WORLD STATUS DRAWS IN VISITORS The Serengeti National Park, according to figures released by TANAPA, the Tanzania National Park Authority, has reached record numbers, going by the media statement given from Mr. Pascal Shelutete earlier this week, exceeding 17.000 last month, the highest number ever recorded entering the […]
FastJet attempts to dispel rumours through press conference
FASTJET RESPONDS TO DEBT AND OTHER ALLEGATIONS Information was received from a source in Dar es Salaam who attended a press conference yesterday called by FastJet at short notice. Airline executives refuted claims that they were not paying their dues to TCAA or TRA but tried to explain that, while they acquired Fly540 Tanzania last […]
