Resort owners on the Ssese Island angry over lack of safe and affordable ferry transport
SSESE ISLAND TOURISM BUSINESSES COMPLAIN ABOUT LACK OF FERRIES FROM KAMPALA Anger and disappointment are spreading among travelers to and from the Ssese Islands but also the business owners, in particular those offering accommodation services to visitors that the main government owned ferry MV Kalangala continues to be out of service after a brief period […]
Jetlink court woes put a spanner into FastJet courtship
FASTJET’S COURTSHIP FOR JETLINK THREATENED BY WINDING UP PETITION News are emerging from Nairobi that one of the aviation fuel supplies to grounded Jetlink has gone to court to file a winding up petition, in order to attempt recovery of outstanding money to the tune of over 160.000 US Dollars owed to them. A source […]
Malindi Culture Festival set to kick off next Friday
MALINDI FESTIVAL LAUNCHES MARCH 29TH The National Museums of Kenya have reiterated their intent to go ahead with the 4th Malindi Cultural Festival, starting on March 29th and set to run over the Easter Weekend, despite the present political uncertainty as an election petition is being heard in Nairobi at the Supreme Court. The news […]
Air Tanzania eyes Moroni / Comoros
AIR TANZANIA EYES COMOROS FLIGHTS Air Tanzania is reportedly eyeing Moroni / Comoros as their first international destination since relaunching operations last year, with March 25th reportedly the date for the inaugural flight, using their B737 for the route. A Dar es Salaam based source with insight into ATCL confirmed that the airline will launch […]
Turkish to go daily to Dar es Salaam
TURKISH TO GO DAILY TO DAR A regular aviation source in Dar es Salaam has confirmed that Turkish Airlines will be moving from 5 flights a week to daily flights starting end of May this year. The airline is using a B737-900ER for the destination, connecting Tanzania – Turkish is also flying to Kilimanjaro on […]
Ol Pejeta launches mobile proactive map for visitors
OL PEJETA DOES IT AGAIN Described by this correspondent as one of Kenya’s most complete safari experiences, all in one place, the Ol Pejeta Conservancy has been making its way back here with some frequency which left others to wonder what the deal is between us. Actually, the deal is in the innovations, the fresh […]
Skal Kampala elects Miss Monalisa Aman as new Club President
SKAL KAMPALA ELECTS NEW LEADERSHIP Skal Kampala Chapter 611 has last night held the mandatory annual general meeting and after serving twice as Club President, has Kainembabazi Sabiti, in her professional standing the General Manager for Amadeus in Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan, stepped down, making way for Miss Monalisa Aman to lead the […]
Swissport Tanzania confident for 2013 after slight profit reduction in 2012
SWISSPORT (T) PROFITS SHRINK BY 5 PERCENT AS COMPANY STRUGGLES WITH COST Information was received from an aviation source in Dar es Salaam that Swissport, Tanzania’s leading ground handling agency at the main airports of the country, has seen a profit reduction of some 5 percent at the end of their last financial year. The […]
Kenya Airways ups Guangzhou flights from 4 to daily
KENYA AIRWAYS INCREASES GUANGZHOU FLIGHTS TO DAILY FROM APRIL 01 The upcoming new summer schedule by Kenya Airways, aka The Pride of Africa will see a significant upping of flights to China’s Guangzhou, from presently 4 a week to daily departures, reflecting strong demand by travelers in both directions. The new schedule also introduces three […]
FastJet signs Letter of Intent to 1Time liquidators
FASTJET REPORTEDLY FILES LETTER OF INTENT WITH 1TIME LIQUIDATORS Seemingly unperturbed by the ongoing negative publicity for the airline, as a result of being entangled with former choice darling partner and now turned arch foe Fly540, has the management of FastJet now apparently filed a letter of intent with the liquidators of 1Time, a South […]
7th Ecotourism Conference coming to Nairobi in September
NAIROBI SET TO HOST ECOTOURISM CONFERENCE IN SEPTEMBER The Seventh Annual Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference (ESTC) will take place in Kenya’s capital city of Nairobi between September 24 – 27 this year, bringing together stakeholders from Africa and around the world to discuss sustainable development and how tourism can help developing countries to fight […]
Kenya’s Holiday Tourism Fair 2013 goes underway today
HOLIDAY FAIR 2013 AIMS TO ATTRACT AND STIMULATE DOMESTIC TRAVEL The2013 edition of Kenya’s domestic travel exhibition at the Sarit Centre, Holidays 2013 Tourism Fair, is going underway today and will run until the 24th of March, giving Kenyans the opportunity to see the range of resorts, safari lodges and safari camps now available for […]
UWA set for cashless smart card introduction
UGANDA WILDLIFE AUTHORITY INTRODUCES CASHLESS SMART CARD Visits to any of Uganda’s ten national parks will soon be easier as the Uganda Wildlife Authority is putting final touches to the introduction of a cashless smart card based on chip technology, aimed at maximizing revenue collection and improving cash flow as a result of prepaid ‘loading’ […]
UNEP finally gets top UN Assembly status raising Nairobi’s profile as host city
UNEP’S UPGRADING TO TOP UN STATUS RAISES NAIROBI’S PROFILE IN THE WORLD Kenya’s capital city of Nairobi is now the home of the newly upgraded United Nations Environmental Assembly, formerly known as the UN Environment Programme. A sustained campaign by Kenya and her friends in the region and on the continent was finally seeing the […]
Hemingways Nairobi prepares for April opening
HEMINGWAYS OPENING SET TO BLITZ THE LUXURY MARKET IN NAIROBI When Hemingways Nairobi will open its doors next month, Nairobians and regular travelers to the city will likely stand in some awe after seeing what the team around Group CEO Alastair Addison has created in the leafy suburb of Karen, where the new, 45 all […]
Kenya Airways set to receive a brand new B777-300ER
KENYA AIRWAYS PREPARES FOR WELCOME TO A BRAND NEW B777-300ER Kenya Airways’ implementation of Plan Mawingo remains on course with the upcoming delivery of another brand new B777-300ER, which will boost The Pride of Africa’s ability to add flight frequencies and eventually more destinations to their growing long haul network. Over the past year the […]
Mango launches nonstop flights between Johannesburg and Zanzibar
MANGO LAUNCHES FLIGHTS BETWEEN JOHANNESBURG AND ZANZIBAR AfricaStay, a South Africa based tour operator, has yesterday launched nonstop charter flights between Johannesburg and Zanzibar, now operating every Tuesday and using a B737-800 with a configuration of 185 seats, all economy. The flights are reportedly a ‘replacement’ for the services operated until last year by now […]
Burundi takes top ITB honours before Kenya and Rwanda
BURUNDI RECLAIMS TOP AFRICAN EXHIBITOR HONOURS BEFORE KENYA AND RWANDA The results for ‘Best African Exhibitor at ITB 2013’ are somewhat surprising for many observers but not for this correspondent, who is a keen observer of the regional tourism scene. Burundi, like last year, once again claimed the top prize as best exhibitor, hopefully helping […]
Fregate Island Private embarks on refurbishment while tourism features high in national HR awards
TOURISM BUSINESSES FEATURE HIGH IN SEYCHELLES ‘BEST HR PRACTICES’ AWARDS Last weekend saw the first ever recognition of best human resource management practices in the Seychelles, during a ceremony held at the Berjaya Beau Vallon Bay Resort and Casino. Award winners were picked from both private and public sector in three main categories, small and […]
KenyaBuzz launches ‘on the go entertainment and leisure guide’ phone app for Android
KENYA BUZZ LAUNCHES PHONE APP TO BE AVAILABLE ON THE GO Kenya’s premier leisure, food, entertainment and travel e-Guide for what’s to do, where to go and what to find where has just launch their phone application, which is now available to get the news on the go, the first such known app available for […]
Air Uganda expects new CEO to take charge after 6 month vacuum at the top
AIR UGANDA SET TO REVEAL NEW CEO ON APRIL 01 Usually well informed sources have indicated that after a 6 months gap at the top – the last CEO, one Kayle Haywood in early October 2012 prematurely walked out on his contract with the airline to take up a better paying position with FastJet in […]
Air Seychelles confirms a million dollar profit
Having reported this development already nearly two weeks ago, here is the official statement from the airline, just received. March 18, 2013 FIRST AIR SEYCHELLES PROFIT IN THREE YEARS HIGHLIGHTS STRONG TURNAROUND · Net profit of US$1 million in first year of Etihad Airways management contract • Significant synergies and cost savings from equity partnership […]
Kenya Airways prepares for first B737-300F delivery
KENYA AIRWAYS PREPARES FOR DELIVERY OF FIRST CONVERTED B737-300 FREIGHTER Slightly later than initially expected will Kenya Airways receive the first of eventually four converted B737-300 cargo aircraft, which have been selected from their passenger fleet and which will be undergoing this transformation at a facility in China. With the arrival of more Embraer E190 […]
Uganda one of Africa’s BIG FIVE at ITB in Berlin
UGANDA NAMED 5TH BEST AT RECENT ITB ‘It was a bit disappointing to only get 5th, but then, it is still 5th for all of Africa’ said a participant to the recent ITB to this correspondent last weekend, when discussing the performance of the country at the world’s most important tourism trade show. Last year […]
Weekly roundup of news from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean islands, Third 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 […]
New ferry now connects Kayunga and Kamuli across the River Nile
NEW FERRY RESTORES NILE CROSSING 35 YEARS DOWN THE LINE The town of Kayunga on the western side of the River Nile is now once again connected with the town of Kamuli on the eastern side of the river, after a break of over 35 years. The only ferry, which provided a link between the […]
Melia Hotels and Resorts close to Kenya deal?
MELIA HOTELS SAID TO EYE KENYA FOR EXPANSION IN AFRICA Spanish hotel and resort group Melia, already in East Africa with one property in Zanzibar, is said to be eyeing an entry in to the Kenyan market to expand their footprint in Africa. Melia currently is also present in Egypt with two resorts and Cape […]
Same old Same Old in Kampala? Try the Sheraton Weekend Treat
SHERATON KAMPALA DOES AWAY WITH THAT ‘SAME OLD SAME OLD’ FEELING Another weekend and what to do, many of my fellow Kampaleans do ask me with a regularity which borders on the monotonous. They have been to Jinja, done the rafting with Nalubale, the horsebackriding with Natalie, the bungee jumping and the quad biking and […]
Boeing’s Press Release on the proposed battery fix for the B787 Dreamliner
This has been a matter of much informed, and at time patently uninformed comments. Here is the full statement issued by Boeing over the proposed battery fixes which the FAA has approved and which are now undergoing a full range of tests before the FAA, and other aviation regulators, may lift the flight ban on […]
Tanzanias forests continue to be decimated
I often get ripped into by individuals from Tanzania, who clearly lack the capacity to understand that exposing transgressions against nature, i.e. poaching inside and outside of the parks, or the massive illegal logging in the forests across the country for timber and to make charcoal, is in the best interest of the country, allowing […]
