KWS rules out name change for Hell’s Gate National Park
NO NAME CHANGE FOR HELLS GATE NATIONAL PARK Kenya Wildlife Service has ruled out a name change for the Hells Gate National Park on Mt. Longonot at the bottom of the Great African Rift Valley, following the recent tragedy when 7 youngsters were caught in flash floods during a team building exercise and drowned. Kenya […]
GeoLodges hold chef symposium at their Rain Forest Lodge in Mabira
GEO LODGES UGANDA GET CREATIVE TO ENSURE CONTINUED QUALITY (The Geo Lodges chefs on retreat at the Rain Forest Lodge in Mabira) The Rain Forest Lodge in Mabira Forest was the venue of a Geo Lodges Uganda second Chefs Forum recently, when they brought together their kitchen masters from the Nile Safari Lodge and the […]
Lamu travel advisories significantly changed by the Brits
LAMU TRAVEL ADVISORY CHANGED SUBSTANTIALLY It was learned overnight from a Nairobi based senior tourism stakeholder that the British government and High Commission in Kenya has significantly reduced the off limits advice which was in place for visits to the ancient coastal town of Lamu. Previously the area was up to 150 kilometres from the […]
AFRAA set to extend joint fuel purchasing programme till end 2013
AFRAA EXTENDS JOINT FUEL PURCHASING PROJECT TILL END 2013 The AFRAA promoted joint fuel purchasing project, which the African Airline Association launched last year as reported here at the time, will continue with a new deal extending until the end of 2013. Initially underwritten by 9 member airlines which included at the time Kenya Airways, […]
Tanzanian NGO’s change sides to support the Serengeti Highway amidst massive corruption allegations
NGOS TURN INTO ACCOMPLICES FOR CRIMES AGAINST THE ENVIRONMENT 7 NGOs based in Arusha seem to have had a sudden change of mind, and a change of financial fortunes by the look of it, as they did a U-turn and are now advocating to build a tarmac road across the Serengeti. Brand new, state of […]
Seychelles Public Transport Corporation gets 10 more busses, gifted by China
SEYCHELLES PUBLIC TRANSPORT CORPORATION GETS 10 MORE BUSSES Public transport on the islands of Mahe and Praslin is vested in the Seychelles Public Transport Corporation, which provides up to 60.000 Seychellois [out of a total population of about 87.000] on a busy day with the means to get to school, to work, to do the […]
Uganda’s 50th anniversary of Independence programme to be announced on Sunday
UGANDA TO ANNOUNCE 50TH INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY PROGRAMME ON SUNDAY With only just over 5 months to go until the 09th October, when Uganda will celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Independence from former colonial rulers Britain, the long awaited programme announcement will finally be made this coming Sunday by President Museveni. Several leading tourism stakeholders had […]
Turkish Airlines inaugural flight to Kigali confirmed for 16th May
TURKISH AIRLINES SET FOR 16TH OF MAY INAUGURAL FLIGHT TO KIGALI The long awaited arrival by Turkish Airlines in Kigali is now set for the 16th of May, i.e. in less than two weeks from now. Flights will initially connect Istanbul / Turkey with Kigali / Rwanda three times a week and the airline is […]
Qatar Airways delays A380 deliveries, announces plans to fly to 170 destinations worldwide within 3 years
QATAR AIRWAYS OPTS TO DELAY A380 DELIVERIES Information was received that Qatar Airways appears to have opted to delay the delivery of their Airbus A380 orders for the time being. Due to receive the first of these giant aircraft by Q4 in 2013, the airline seems to have decided to wait longer to allow the […]
Bombardier Aerospace commences Africa tour with the Q400 today in Accra
BOMBARDIER ANNOUNCES AFRICA TOUR WITH THE Q400 Canadian aircraft manufacturer Bombardier Aerospace is embarking on an Africa wide tour today to showcase its successful Q400 turboprop aircraft to potential customers on the continent. The tour will commence in West Africa before moving to Southern and then Eastern Africa for both static display as well as […]
New Libyan government reportedly interested to regain control of Umubano Hotel
NEW LIBYAN GOVERNMENT MAY TRY TO REGAIN CONTROL OF UMUBANO HOTEL As the evaluation of the value of the former Laico property in Kigali by PriceWaterhouseCoopers is nearing completion, indications have emerged that the new Libyan government may wish to regain control of the hotel. The Umubano Hotel was during the sanctions period against the […]
Case against Kenya Airways share rights issue thrown out of court
DISGRUNTLED KQ MINORITY SHAREHOLDER SENT PACKING BY COURT As reported here two weeks ago, one Prakash Gadani, who holds some 200.000 shares in Kenya Airways, had filed a case against the now concluded share rights issue, making a number of claims when seeking to stop the transaction through an injunction. That injunction however was not […]
Yambio crash injures pilot and passengers
YAMBIO CRASH INJURES PASSENGERS AND CREW Several passengers and the pilot sustained injuries when an aircraft contracted by the UNs World Food Programme crashed upon a bodged landing attempt in the Southern Sudanese town of Yambio, while coming from the South Sudanese capital of Juba. According to information received the plane hit a drainage channel […]
Brussels Airlines steps up sales campaign
BRUSSELS AIRLINES STEPS UP SALES EFFORTS FOR EUROPE / NEW YORK The sales team at Brussels Airlines in Kampala has notably stepped up their sales efforts four weeks ahead of the long expected launch of flights from Brussels to New York and ahead of a busy summer season when expatriates working and living in Uganda […]
Emirates announces upcoming launch of Barcelona and Lisbon
EMIRATES ANNOUNCES UPCOMING LAUNCH OF BARCELONA AND LISBON (A view of Lisbon from the Atlantic ocean, courtesy of Emirates via HK Strategies) The country manager of Emirates in Uganda, Khalid Al Zarouni, earlier in the week announced that the daily nonstop flights between Entebbe and Dubai will from 03rd July offer a new European onward […]
Kempinski makes announcement for the opening of two properties in Kenya
KEMPINSKI COMES TO KENYA AT LAST The long awaited announcement has been made today that Kempinski has signed a management agreement with the locally incorporated Simba Corporation for a 200 suites and room hotel in the heart of Nairobi, Kenyas capital in addition to which a luxurious safari camp will be opened on the Olare […]
Rosette Rugamba graduates from Aspen’s Global Leadership Course
ROSETTE RUGAMBA GRADUATES FROM ASPENS GLOBAL LEADERSHIP COURSE (Aspen Leadership Initiative Networks African graduates) Rosette Chantal Rugamba, well remembered for her time at the helm of ORTPN and then as Deputy CEO in charge of Tourism and Conservation at the Rwanda Development Board, has last week graduated as a Fellow of the Aspen Leadership Initiative […]
Emirates takes home Best Cargo Airline in the World, Best Cargo Airline in the Middle East and Best Cargo Airline to Africa awards
EMIRATES SKY CARGO NAMED AS CARGO AIRLINE OF THE YEAR (Picture courtesy of Emirates via HK Strategies, Nairobi) The annual Cargo Airline of the Year Awards, held at Londons Lancaster Hotel, once again crowned Emirates Sky Cargo as the cargo kings of the world. The airline was named as Best Cargo Airline in the World […]
Qatar Airways uses ATM 2012 to reaffirm JRO and MBA launch dates
QATAR AIRWAYS CONFIRMS LAUNCH DATES FOR JRO AND MBA Qatars award winning airline used the Arabian Travel Market 2012 as a platform to confirm their planned launch of new destinations for the next six months. Of key importance is the start of flights to Tanzanias safari gateway of Kilimanjaro near Arusha, which has been reconfirmed […]
Beau Vallon Bay Beach tourism stakeholders set to develop ‘Golden Mile’ concept to give area a face lift
BEAU VALLON TO GET FACE LIFT, BECOME MORE USER FRIENDLY (Courtesy of Google Maps 2012) One of the Seychelles best known beaches, Beau Vallon Bay Beach, is set to get spruced up and made more user friendly, following a meeting between Ministers Alain St. Ange, Tourism and Culture and Joel Morgan, Transport and Internal Affairs, […]
Qatar Airways retains ‘Best Business Class in the World’ award from Business Traveller Middle East magazine
QATAR AIRWAYS BAGS BEST BUSINESS CLASS AWARD BY BUSINESS TRAVELLER MAGAZINE More good news and awards for Qatar Airways were announced at the start of the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai yesterday, when the prestigious Business Traveller Middle East magazine revealed that the airline was voted for Best Business Class in the World for the […]
Kenya Airways releases Q4 results for 2011/12 FY
KENYA AIRWAYS RELEASES Q4 RESULTS While everyone is now waiting for the announcement of the results of the share rights issue by Kenya Airways and their financial advisory team, due to be made public on the 30th May, the airline has yesterday released their financial results for the fourth quarter of their financial year. Notably […]
Weekly roundup of news from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean islands, Fifth edition April 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 Get daily breaking news updates instantly via Twitter by following @whthome, join me on Facebook where the articles also cross load or read the daily […]
Routes Africa meeting enters registration phase
ROUTES AFRICA ENTERS REGISTRATION PHASE Key airlines flying to the Seychelles, where the 2012 edition of Routes Africa is being held this year in July, have already committed themselves for participation. Amongst them are Air Seychelles and their partner Etihad, Qatar Airways, Emirates and South African Airways, with other airlines flying to Mahe and into […]
Seychelles Tourism Academy intends to start German language courses
SEYCHELLES TOURISM ACADEMY TO BENEFIT FROM MINISTERIAL INITIATIVE The Seychelles Minister for Tourism and Culture, Alain St. Ange, has held talks with the German Ambassador accredited to the Seychelles Mrs. Hellwig Boette, with the aim to strengthen cultural ties between the two countries. According to a regular source from Victoria, the discussions focused on several […]
Kenya government set to pay KWS 1.8 billion Kenya Shillings for Nairobi National Park land
GOVERNMENT OF KENYASET TO PAY OFF KWS FOR NAIROBI NATIONAL PARK LAND News emerged over the weekend that the Kenyan government appears to have set aside 21.6 million US Dollars for the Kenya Wildlife Service as a form of compensation for the land carved out of the Nairobi National Park for the construction of the […]
Kenya’s tourism promotion budget cut, causing outcry from stakeholders
KENYAS TOURISM STAKEHOLDERS BLAME NEW MINISTER, PUBLIC EXPENDITURE FOR BUDGET CUTS It is action which counts for us, not words and empty declarations. Maybe now people realize just how much damage the removal of our former minister has done to our sector. Balala was on course to fight for more marketing budget because he knew […]
Mauritius invests in major infrastructure projects to be ready for future growth
MAURITIUS INVESTS IN INFRASTRUCTURE TO BE READY FOR THE FUTURE (Impression of the new terminal building in Plaisance) Information was received from Port Louis overnight about two key infrastructural projects, aimed to keep the island at the cutting edge for tourism and travel. First was the announcement that a new harbour bridge was set to […]
Kisumu to host tourism exhibition for Western Kenya next week
LAKE VICTORIA TOURISM ASSOCIATION TO HOLD EXHIBITION IN KISUMU (Picture courtesy of Wikipedias Kisumu City File) Kenyas lakeside city of Kisumu will be playing host to a planned tourism and travel exhibition next week, organized by the Lake Victoria Tourism Association. Running from Thursday to Saturday inclusive, i.e. from May 03rd to 05th, the exhibition […]
Lake Tanganyika’s main passenger steamer, the MV Liemba, to be refurbished
LAKE TANGANYIKA STEAMER GETS GERMAN FUNDING FOR MAJOR OVERHAUL (Picture courtesy of Wikipedia) Germany is expected to underwrite some major funding for Tanzania to retain part of her own heritage, closely linked with Tanganyika, which used to be Germanys colony in East Africa until the end of the First World War. The mainland of what […]
