Leopard Beach Resort and Spa sets December 01 as provisional re-opening date
LEOPARD BEACH RESORT AND SPA SET PROVISIONAL RE-OPENING DATE Following the fire incident, reported here on the day it happened, at the Leopard Beach Resort and Spa two weeks ago, the preliminary assessment of damages sustained in the fire, such as makuti roofs over parts of the restaurant, stores and offices, has been completed and […]
New Dawn opens New Horizons for visitors to The Land of a Thousand Hills
NEW DAWN OPENS NEW HORIZONS When I return to familiar stomping grounds there are normally few things which I can say are truly new to me as it is after all my business to know what is happening across my areas of reporting. So when I came back to Kigali yesterday to commence the countdown […]
Air Mauritius announces dismal full year results with a loss of 29.2 million Euros
AIR MAURITIUS LOSS DESCRIBED AS SHOCKING News just received confirm that the annual results of the 2011/12 Financial Year for Air Mauritius are worse than excepted and a new round of cost cutting and route reduction, over and above the 8 destinations already axed earlier this year, is on the cards now. The loss of […]
President Michel opens Seychelles’ first Arboretum
PRESIDENT MICHEL LAUNCHES ARBORETUM A vision dating back some 14 years, before James Alix Michel even became President of the Seychelles, came to a conclusion yesterday when he opened the archipelagos first arboretum. Located at Barbarons / Grand Anse on a 17 hectares plot, the new arboretum is as much planned for posterity and for […]
Sheraton Kampala to host vintage and classic car show on Saturday
SHERATON KAMPALA SET TO HOST CLASSIC CARS SHOW The Sheraton Kampala Hotels this coming weekend is the place to be for classic car enthusiasts, when the gardens of the hotel will showcase some 40 vintage and classic cars from collectors and motor buffs around the country. The event has been widened into a society weekend […]
Brussels Airlines flights to New York – Savoir Vivre returns in renewed splendor
BRUSSELS AIRLINES FLIGHTS TO THE BIG APPLE SAVOIR VIVRE RETURNS TO THE AIR A contact from Brussels Airlines has made a range of comments and pictures available, received soon after the airline launched their own nonstop flights between Brussels and New York, and only a number of already planned trips into the nearer and more […]
Mabira, the Endangered Forest yet full of promise and opportunities
MABIRA, THE ENDANGERED FOREST (Posted 12th June 2012) Writing about forests for me is like writing about life rich, varied, exciting, full of challenges and promises but also fraught with dangers. In recent years I have written much about the forests in our wider region, many of these pieces published in The […]
Precision Air announces new destinations with Lilongwe and Harare, hint at major profit for 2011/12
PRECISION AIR ANNOUNCES LILONGWE / HARARE AND HINTS AT SIGNIFICANT PROFITS Precision Air, Tanzanias leading airline, has just announced that they will launch flights to Lilongwe / Malawi and Harare / Zimbabwe from August this year onwards, when additional aircraft have joined their growing fleet. At the same time as making this announcement was it […]
Rwanda’s Ruhumuriza takes Kwita Izina cycling tour honours
RWANDA TAKES KWITA IZINA INTERNATIONAL CYCLING TOUR EVENT FOR THE FIRST TIME (Picture courtesy of RDB media release) The Festival of the Gorillas also known as Kwita Izina, commenced its countdown towards the actual naming ceremony this Saturday, 16th of June outside the national park head quarters in Ruhengeri / Musanze with the annual cycling […]
Weekly roundup of news from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean region, Second edition June 2012
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 mends fences with Vanilla Islands partners as MTPA’s Chairman Robert Desvaux speaks out
MAURITIUS SEEKS TO MEND FENCES OVER CARNIVAL COPY AND PASTE JOB The presence in the Seychelles of the Chairman of the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority, Robert Desvaux, ostensibly on other business, was nevertheless used to put the major talking point across the entire Vanilla Islands and much of the global tourism world allegations that his […]
Kenya’s coast – Where some places still got what it takes to compete with the best in the world
BEACH HOLIDAYS IN KENYA SOME PLACES STILL GOT IT There are constant murmurs from within Kenyas tourism fraternity, and from the outside too, that in particular the beach resorts along the coast line have gone stale and tired and need some fresh impetus, fresh ideas, fresh investments, renewed focus and perhaps a new national vision […]
Tanzania’s transport minister hints at new board, explains sacking and suspensions
NEW BOARD FOR AIR TANZANIA IS NEXT SAYS MINISTER A few days after sacking former Acting CEO Paul Chizi did Dr. Harrison Mwakyembe, Minister for Transport in the Tanzanian government, make his first public comments about the circumstances which prompted him to take this decision and make Capt. Lazaro Lusajo the new man at the […]
Kenya Airways share right issue results announced in Nairobi
KENYA AIRWAYS SHARE RIGHTS ISSUE MEETS ONLY MINIMUM TARGETS Information availed yesterday from Nairobi indicates that the much hyped share rights issue by Kenya Airways, aimed at raising some 21 billion Kenya Shillings, achieved a take up of about 14.5 billion Kenya Shillings according to airline executives and their financial advisory team. This meets the […]
ATCL’s new CEO Capt. Lazaro Lusajo speaks out for the first time since his appointment
AIR TANZANIAS NEW CEO SPEAKS OUT ON FUTURE Capt. Lazaro Lusajo, earlier this week appointed as Acting Chief Executive Officer of Air Tanzania following the sacking of his predecessor Paul Chizi, expressed his appreciation and gratitude to the Minister for Transport while swiftly reassuring his staff, the airlines clientele and the public at large that […]
Tourism ministry’s report raises concerns over oil drilling and production effects in the parks
TOURISM SECTORAL REPORT RAISES OIL DRILLING CONCERNS The annual report by the Ministry of Tourism, in conjunction with the World Bank, has raised broad concerns over the level of future drilling and production of oil in the main concession blocks presently being explored. Located in the Albertine Graben, part of the Great African Rift Valley, […]
Kenya Airways launches SkyPriority initiative
KENYA AIRWAYS LAUNCHES SKYPRIORITY IN NAIROBI Frequent flyers of Kenya Airways and their SkyTeam alliance partners operating in and out of Nairobi will be delighted to hear of the latest initiative by the airline to make their travel more pleasant, starting with the check in on the ground. Termed a branded priority service by the […]
Tourism stakeholders organize meeting to discuss apex body leadership
STAKEHOLDERS CALL FOR MEETING AMID ALLEGATIONS OF ASSOCIATION FAILURES Long pending differences of opinion and a range of allegations towards the incumbent leadership of the Uganda Tourism Association will come to a head this afternoon, after the Uganda Safari Guide Association broke the silence and called for a meeting of all stakeholders to discuss the […]
East African Tourism Platform launches today in Arusha
EAST AFRICAN TOURISM PLATFORM LAUNCHES TODAY The East Africa Tourism Platform launches in its first county in the East African Community today 08th June, namely in Tanzania, to facilitate active and focused engagement of the private sector in the East African Community (EAC) integration process. The Platform, an apex private sector body for tourism in […]
British Airways announces secure credit card payment option for online bookings in Uganda
BRITISH AIRWAYS INTRODUCES CREDIT CARD PAYMENT OPTION IN UGANDA British Airways Commercial Manager for Uganda Faith Chaitezvi yesterday announced in Kampala that the airlines clientele can with immediate effect now use their credit cards to pay for bookings made on the airlines website, greatly enhancing the chances of actually doing transactions and not deserting due […]
President Kikwete’s World Environment Day speech raises eyebrows over its sincerity
PRESIDENTIAL WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY ADDRESS RAISES EYEBROWS President Kikwetes address on the occasion of the World Environment Day has raised more than a few eyebrows amongst the conservation fraternity, when on Tuesday this week he was quoted to have said: If we dont take remedial measures to conserve the environment, our lives and welfare will […]
Emirates offers special fares deals in fight for market share
EMIRATES STARTS FARES OFFENSIVE IN UGANDA Emirates Kampala office has yesterday launched a range of attractive market fares, reducing by up to 48 percent the cost previously paid for by travelers, when a new aggressive sales campaign was started by the airline, lasting till Sunday this week with travel valid until 15th of July. Khalid […]
Today’s posts start with a guest contribution from New Dawn Associates in Rwanda – enjoy
Abatigayubuke Batwa cooperative dances its way to a brighter future by Munyaneza A.B (May 2012) None of the Tourist groups knew what to expect every morning of the Dancing pots tour. This is the first time that the Batwa community associated with the Abatigayubuke potter cooperative had ever received tourists, visitors and hosts were brimming […]
Landing mishap closes JKIA’s single runway, again, while airlines face huge financial losses, AGAIN
JKIA RUNWAY CLOSURE ONCE AGAIN COSTS AIRLINES DEARLY A landing mishap by reportedly Egypt Air, which according to reports came in long, skidded off the runway and got stuck in the mud, has prompted all incoming and outgoing flights from Nairobis Jomo Kenyatta Airport to be diverted and delayed indefinitely, it was learned two hours […]
Arusha Municipal Airport set to reopen in July following extensive rehabilitation works
ARUSHA AIRPORT SET TO REOPEN The current repairs on the Arusha Municipal Airports runway are nearing the end it was learned when discussing the forthcoming Karibu Tourism and Travel Fair starting this weekend in East Africas Safari Capital. From what we have been told they expect to finish the work by mid July and even […]
Air Tanzania boss axed, 4 top staff suspended to make way for investigations
AIR TANZANIA BOSS AXED, FOUR MORE SUSPENDED AS NEW BROOMS SWEEP HARD All posturing and peacock strutting about was not enough to save the former Acting Chief Executive Paul Chizi from the axe, which fell on him when the newly appointed Minister for Transport used a provision in law to remove him from office and […]
Kenya Airways share rights issue announcement set for later today along full year financial results
KENYA AIRWAYS DAY OF RECKONING ARRIVES Today is the official announcement expected by Kenya Airways and their financial advisory team of how the recently concluded share rights issue was accepted in the market place alongside the announcement of financial year results for 2011/12. Overshadowed by continuously high interest rates, a deterrent of significance for private […]
Ugandan police and security deploy in hotels and malls to boost security
POLICE TAKE OVER HOTEL AND MALL SECURITY IN KAMPALA As witnessed in recent days across the city, Ugandan security organs have been seconded to Kampalas leading hotels, malls, high rises and even buildings under construction near sensitive sites, also confirmed late yesterday from a top cop in Uganda, who on condition of strict anonymity said […]
Emirates continues market offensive on several levels to counter existing and new competition
EMIRATES CONTINUES MARKET OFFENSIVE WITH ENHANCED INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT Dubais award winning national airline Emirates continues to work the market in East Africa hard, in the face of increased competition by Gulf rivals Qatar Airways, soon to launch their 5th East African destination, and Etihad, coming to Nairobi more recently as their first East African destination, […]
Karibu Travel and Tourism Fair opens on Friday with a dedicated day for tourism professionals
KARIBU FAIR OPENS ON 08TH June 6, 2012 East Africas most important international tourism trade show, the Karibu Travel and Tourism Fair, is going to open its doors at the Arusha Showground on Friday this week with a dedicated tourism trade day for professional visitors and the media only, before on Saturday and Sunday offering […]
