Sarova Hotels partner with Kenyatta University to combat water weed in Taita dam
SAROVA HOTELS PARTNER WITH UNIVERSITY TO COMBAT WATER WEED MENACE Kenyatta Universitys Taita / Taveta based college for agriculture and technology is partnering with Sarova Hotels Taita Hills and Salt Lick Lodges, to establish ways and means to safely eradicate an aquatic weed, which has over the past years invaded the Bura dam, a source […]
Emirates taps into Africa’s rich HR pool
EMIRATES GROUP TAPS INTO AFRICAN HUMAN RESOURCE POOL LIKE FEW OTHERS More and more Africans are looking abroad for employment these days, with opportunities, especially in the aviation sector, becoming easier to find by the day due to the expansion of the Gulf airlines. Substantially higher salaries, benefit packages and long term job security are […]
Qatar Airways bags more Skytrax awards
QATAR AIRWAYS BAGS YET MORE SKYTRAX AWARDS The Worlds 5 Star Airline has just bagged two more awards from Skytrax over the weekend, one for their Oryx Rotana Airport Hotel, rated as the best in the Middle East, and another for their Premium Terminal at the Doha International Airport, rated as the best in the […]
Hell’s Gate National Park team building adventure trip turns into tragic disaster
HELLS GATE NATIONAL PARK FLOODS CLAIM SEVERAL LIVES (One of the Hells Gate National Park gorges often traversed by adventure tourists) News of a tragic accident emerged on Sunday when it became known that a church group of young men and women on a day retreat yesterday morning to the Hells Gate National Park near […]
Seychelles taps into Chinese wedding and honeymoon market
SEYCHELLES BECOMES A CHINESE WEDDING AND HONEYMOON DESTINATION (A Chinese visitor, seen here at a Wedding Cove on the island of La Digue earlier this year) The Seychelles Tourism Board announced over the weekend that at least 50 Chinese couples will in July fly to the archipelago to get married there and spend their honeymoon, […]
Reunion tourism arrivals and revenues rise significantly in 2012
REUNION TOURISM ARRIVALS JUMP The French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion established a new visitor peak for the year 2011, when 471.268 arrivals were recorded. This constitutes an increase over the previous year 2010 by 12.1 percent, way ahead of the global average increase in tourism, which was pegged at 4.4 percent by the […]
Weekly roundup of news from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean islands, Fourth 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 […]
East Africa’s Forests, under threat like never before
EAST AFRICAS FORESTS GOING, GOING, GOING AND GONE BY WHEN The recently published East Africa Report 2012 makes grim reading, when it comes to the forests in the region, as over the past 20 years, between 1990 and 2010 more than 22 million hectares of forests were razed, for logging, through population encroachment and to […]
Tanzanian safari guides to register, get licensed
NEW RULES FOR TANZANIAN TOUR GUIDES AIMED TO IMPROVE QUALITY Under a recently launched new set of regulation will it become mandatory for tour guides in Tanzania to register and get licensed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism. The measure is expected to come into effect in the next financial year, to allow […]
Nyungwe Forest Lodge, the gateway to the Enchanted Forest
NYUNGWE FOREST LODGE THE GATEWAY TO THE ENCHANTED FOREST When I write about Rwanda, anything to do with Rwanda, my readers often get back to me and say they feel the passion I have for the Land of a Thousand Hills and it is true. Be it the capital Kigali, well lit, clean streets, disciplined […]
Seychelles’ National Economic Council targets tourism for future growth
SEYCHELLES NATIONAL ECONOMICS COUNCIL TARGETS TOURISM FOR GROWTH When President James Michel chaired the countrys National Economics Council, in short NEC, earlier in the week the meeting had to look at a revised growth forecast for the Seychelles of 2.8 percent, down from the initially expected 4 percent. Global rises in the cost of fuel, […]
Rescued lowland gorilla baby to return home soon
RESCUED LOW LAND GORILLA TO RETURN HOME When the Rwandan security forces took a baby gorilla from traffickers last year near the common border with Congo DR, the young animal was kept under close care and supervision for several months, while the authorities tried to establish the origin of the baby. DNA analysis undertaken by […]
Mauritius set to open first eco-park by the end of the year
ECO PARK DUE TO OPEN BY END YEAR AT VALLEY DOSTERLOG A regular source from Mauritius provided information that in line with the countrys tourism outlook, aimed to tap more and more into the eco tourism segment of visitors, a new eco-park will be launched before the end of the year at the Valley DOsterlog, […]
With the two Sudan’s at the brink of war, Uganda sides with the South to stop Khartoum’s expansionism
UGANDA TO STAND BY SOUTHERN SUDAN IN CASE OF FULL SCALE WAR Information is circulating in Kampala that the rogue regime of ICC wanted alleged war criminal Bashir in Khartoum has stepped up contacts with the LRA which leadership is also wanted by the ICC for crimes against humanity and may be funneling material support […]
Seychelles architectural heritage gets a boost with new award scheme
MONUMENTS AND SITES COUNCIL PROMOTES HERITAGE Information was received from Victoria that the local office of the International Monuments and Sites Council has launched a new award scheme to promote the conservation of Seychellois architectural heritage. The organization issued a media release saying: The Icomos Seychelles Heritage Award will recognise special accomplishments, projects and efforts […]
Night flight bans and runway bottlenecks curtail Europe’s aviation growth, aid Gulf carriers
EUROPEAN NIGHT FLIGHT BANS, RUNWAY BOTTLENECKS AID GULF AIRLINES The European Union, and several of the member states, appear to be on a collision course with their aviation industry, first over the down your throat ETS regulations, which have met with global opposition and demands to let ICAO come up with a world wide solution, […]
ATCL’s past sins come home to haunt them as parliamentary committee unearthed more rot
AIR TANZANIAS PAST SINS COME HOME TO HAUNT THEM Parliamentarians opposed to the constant need to bail out ATCL and having to pay for the irresponsible decisions made by top management, have unearthed yet more liabilities, incurred through guarantees given by the Tanzanian government, in connection with past aircraft deals. The stricken airline, in deep […]
Rwanda Tourism partners with Expedia to open new markets
EXPEDIA PARTNERS WITH RDB TO PROMOTE RWANDA Expedia Incorporated, arguably the worlds largest online travel company, has teamed up with the Rwanda Development Boards Tourism and Conservation Department, to give greater exposure to The Land of a Thousand Hills and widen the marketing reach for the country. RDB hosted a seminar in Kigali earlier in […]
Sauti Za Busara announces 2013 dates for 10th anniversary edition of Africa’s top rated music festival
DATES SET FOR SAUTI ZA BUSARA 2013, FIRST CALL FOR ARTISTS TO PARTICIPATE Zanzibars globally renowned music and performing arts festival, Sauti Za Busara, has announced the dates for 2013 as 14th to 17th February, making the love affair with this most widely known and best reputed African music and arts festival all the more […]
Brussels Airlines launches new cabin product
BRUSSELS AIRLINES LAUNCHES NEW CABIN PRODUCT The latest addition to the growing Brussels Airlines fleet, another A330-300 making it 7 A330 overall, has been unveiled with a new cabin product during a flight last week to Cameroon. A state of the art business class cabin with full flat beds has been introduced while in economy […]
Emirates set to recruit over 4.500 staff in Africa this year
EMIRATES SEEKS TO RECRUIT 4.500 NEW STAFF IN AFRICA Information was confirmed overnight that Emirates, Dubais award winning airline, was once again on the prowl in Eastern Africa and in fact across the continent, to recruit 4.500 pilots, cabin crew, engineering, ground handling, operations, IT and other staff, urgently needed to back up the planned […]
Precision Air announces Lubumbashi flights from 18th May
PRECISION AIR ANNOUNCES NEW DESTINATIONS Starting on 18th of May will Precision Air, Tanzanias most successful private airline, commence flights between Dar es Salaam and Lubumbashi / Congo DR, which will be served via the Zambian capital of Lusaka. Return launch fares have been put on the market at US Dollars 599 return, all taxes […]
Kenya Government sets aside more funds to pay for KQ shares in cash
KENYA GOVERNMENT MAKES ADDED FINANCIAL PROVISIONS TO PAY FOR KQ SHARES It was learned overnight that the Treasury in Nairobi has made added provisions to set aside a further 2.5 billion Kenya Shillings to fully pay up their portion of 26 percent, the government holds as a golden stake in Kenya Airways, the countrys national […]
Serena Rwanda also announces staff changes in Kigali
SERENA RWANDA TOO ANNOUNCES STAFF CHANGES Information was received from regular sources in Kigali, that staff changes through transfers and promotions have taken place at Serena Rwanda too. Former head of Sales and Marketing for the Great Lakes Region Miss Evelyn Karamagi was promoted to the position of Rooms Divisions Manager at the Kigali Serena […]
Mauritius set to crack down hard on polluters
MAURITIUS CRACKS DOWN ON OCEAN POLLUTERS The Ministry of Environment in Port Louis has spoken out against polluting the ocean around the island through careless practices and mismanagement of amongst others sewerage facilities, when it became known that a local treatment plant let a spill run into the sea near Baie du Tombeau. Environment Minister […]
Seychelles Connect launches new website for special deals, last minute bookings and more
SEYCHELLES CONNECT LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE Finding out whats on and where things happen across the Seychelles archipelago is now made easier, since Seychelles Connect has launched a brand new website via www.seychellesconnect.co Operated by the publishers of the Seychelles premier annual Leisure and Business Guide the new site will bring local hospitality, tourism and other […]
Cheli & Peacock make first runner’s up in WTTC’s Tourism for Tomorrow Awards
C & P CLAIM GLOBAL RUNNER UP POSITION IN TOURISM FOR TOMORROW AWARDS One of Kenyas finest safari camp companies, Cheli & Peacock, has just been anointed global runner up at the Tourism For Tomorrow Awards in the field of conservation, adding yet another trophy to their display cabinet. Organized annually by the World Travel […]
Brussels Airlines takes the fight for market share to the frequent flyers …
BRUSSELS AIRLINES TURNS UP THE COMPETITIVE HEAT In what is clearly aimed at capturing market share from their closest competitors, has Brussels Airlines just launched a major campaign in Kampala It Only Takes One Try To Win Gold. Frequent travelers holding loyalty cards from competing carriers, especially those with lots of miles accrued, often fear […]
Southern Sudan – Time to stand up and be counted as Khartoum’s aggression set to cause new war
SOUTH SUDAN PUSHED INTO NEW WAR AS INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY STANDS BY IDLE ? A remarkable article was brought to my attention overnight, reflecting what I myself have often said, advocated and argued, that the aggressors in Khartoum seem to be getting away with murder on a massive scale once again. The Southern Sudans leadership in […]
Serena Uganda announces promotions
CHANGES AT SERENA UGANDA SEE PROMOTIONS, TRANSFERS With Joyce Wangui, until now Country Sales Manager for Serena Hotels in Uganda, returning to Nairobi to take up a new position as Group Corporate Sales Manager on head office level, Miss Allen Ampaire has been promoted to the position of Country Sales Manager Uganda. Allen will oversee […]
