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 […]
KWS passes out 300 more community game rangers
KENYA WILDLIFE SERVICE PASSES OUT 300 MORE RANGERS The Tsavo based KWS Manyani training college was the venue for passing out over 300 community game rangers last weekend, who were given intensive training for several months to supplement and assist KWS personnel in combating poaching and keeping rogue animals at bay. The new batch of […]
UWA plans for launch of new state of the art webportal
UGANDA WILDLIFE AUTHORITY COUNTS DOWN TO NEW WEBSITE LAUNCH The presence, finally, of a competent and respected board of directors at the Uganda Wildlife Authority has made its presence felt almost immediately, as the organization is now sailing in calmer waters once again all round. Sections of the past board, (mis)led by the former chairman […]
Weekly roundup of news from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean region, Third 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 […]
Egypt Air puts disappointing 2011 behind and looks to future again
EGYPT AIR PUTS DISAPPOINTING YEAR BEHIND THEM, LOOKS AT THE FUTURE Egypts national airline is apparently putting a disappointing year behind them, which saw traffic disruptions during the revolution lead to major shifts in market share, before eventually making a recovery but still recording a profit reduction by more than three quarters compared to 2010. […]
Emirates enhances inflight entertainment systems, competition good for travelers
EMIRATES FIGHTS FOR EAST AFRICAN MARKETS SHARE After putting flights from Dubai to Entebbe on a nonstop schedule at the end of March, a move which was widely welcomed amongst travelers from Uganda who are now spared the unnecessary stopover in Addis Ababa long critizised but only taken seriously by the airline after the impact […]
Reflections At The Stroke Of Midnight
REFLECTIONS AT THE STROKE OF MIDNIGHT It is all too often that I see the clock strike midnight and tonight is no different from so many others. My own life clock struck 62 just now, time to take stock in private and also time to share a few thoughts with you all, who follow my […]
Mauritius tourism minister makes new hotel grading criteria public
MAURITIUS TOURISM PROMOTION AUTHORITY REVEALS NEW HOTEL GRADING CRITERIA The Mauritius Minister for Tourism Mr. Michael Sik Yuen earlier this week made public the criteria to be used for the classification and grading of hotels across the island. Aimed at enhancing the quality of services and reflect the reality of how clients see a hotels […]
Qatar Airways announces plans for more JFK flights, more US destinations next year
QATAR AIRWAYS ANNOUNCES MAJOR PLANS FOR MORE US BOUND FLIGHTS Qatar Airways Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker has during a visit to Montreal, where he also visited the Bombardier assembly plant outside the city, announced major plans for the airlines flights to the United States. Regular travelers on QR will be delighted to hear that […]
Nairobi High Court dismisses frivolous case by small scale KQ shareholder
HIGH COURTS SENDS DISGRUNTLED KQ SHAREHOLDER PACKING The High Court in Nairobi dismissed with costs the application of a small, if not minute shareholder in Kenya Airways to stop the ongoing share rights issue, when it sent a Mr. Rakesh Gadani into the legal cold. While granting him the right to sue, a principal right […]
LION2 fibre optic network cable reaches the Kenyan coast, adding more capacity to the market
FOURTH SEABED FIBRE OPTIC CABLE LANDS IN MOMBASA Connectivity will be vastly improved, as will back up in case of service disruptions as seen recently when two of the three cables had been damaged at the same time, with the arrival of LIONS2 at the Kenyan coast. The Lower Indian Ocean Network 2 is according […]
Air Uganda ups frequencies, introduces special offers as fight for market share intensifies
AIR UGANDA SERVES NOTICE OF INTENT Air Uganda has now started upping flights from Entebbe to a number of destinations across their existing network. Kigali will be served twice a day three times a week with the intention to eventually going double daily throughout the week it is understood. Bujumbura, in conjunction with Kigali, has […]
WTA Ceremony for Africa / Indian Ocean region set for Nairobi in September
WORLD TRAVEL AWARDS FOR AFRICA COME TO NAIROBI IN SEPTEMBER September 26th has been set for Kenyas first ever hosting of the Oscars of Travel when this unique annual award ceremony will come to East Africa s foremost tourism country to celebrate global travel in an African setting. The Africa Hotel Investment Forum, which is […]
Jambo Jet, Kenya Airways’ answer to LCC competition, still due to be launched this year
JAMBO JET IS COMING THIS YEAR Kenya Airways own low cost carrier Jambo Jet is still expected to take to the skies over Kenya and across Eastern Africa by 2012, it was learned from a regular source in Nairobi. The new airline will be a fully owned subsidiary of Kenya Airways but operate under its […]
ATCL’s statement on Kigoma accident seen as ‘feeble and unworthy’
ATCLS CEO STATEMENT SEEN AS FEEBLE, UNWORTHY Aviation observers in the region reacted with some scorn to the response by Air Tanzanias Acting CEO Paul Chizi to the most recent accident of the airlines single plane, a Bombardier Q300, which crashed on takeoff at Kigoma, tearing off the undercarriage, part of a wing and an […]
