East Africa prepares for ITB
EAC TALKING UP TOURISM AHEAD OF ITB BUT WILL IT STICK As the tourist boards and private sector participants start to make their way to Berlin for the worlds biggest tourism trade show, at least four of the EAC member countries have gone on record over their intent and purpose for 2012 and beyond, what […]
Uganda news update – Another lake accident claims more lives
ANOTHER LAKE DISASTER STRIKES Reports have reached Kampala that another lake boat has sunk in a storm on Lake Victoria on Friday night, but with conflicting figures being quoted as to the number of passengers on board the ill fated vessel. Some media reports peg the numbers on the boat to as many as 60 […]
Seychelles aviation breaking news – Victoria selected for July World Routes Conference Africa
WORLD ROUTES CONFERENCE AFRICA OPTS FOR SEYCHELLES VENUE While on the Seychelles for the Carnival International de Victoria news broke that the organizers of the World Routes Conferences have selected Victoria as the host city for the 2012 Routes Africa Conference, to be held in July in the Seychellois capital city. A large number of […]
Seychelles ‘Carnival International de Victoria’ finally underway
2013 CARNIVAL TO BECOME A THREESOME (The Notting Hill Samba Dancers kicking off the show in the heart of Victoria) The inaugural edition of the mother of all carnivals the Carnaval de Carnivals in Victoria last year was solely the affair of the Seychelles, but the second, larger, bigger and better edition turned out to […]
Kenya news update – LAPSSET launched in Lamu
LAPSSET LAUNCHED IN LAMU Presidents Mwai Kibaki of Kenya and Gen. Salva Kiir of Southern Sudan were joined by the Ethiopian Prime Minister Menes Zenawi in the formal ground breaking ceremony yesterday at Lamu, jointly laying a foundation stone and committing their respective countries to one of the largest infrastructure project ever in Eastern Africa. […]
Kempinski Seychelles Resort opened tonight with glitz and glamour
KEMPINSKI SEYCHELLES RESORT NOW OFFICIALLY OPEN Global luxury hotel giant Kempinski has today launched the latest addition to their collection, when the Kempinski Seychelles Resort was officially opened for business. While already for some weeks in a soft opening phase the tape was only cut today and a grand opening party was held by management […]
Rwanda hospitality news – Managers side with RDB in quest for more and better training of staff
HOTEL MANAGERS BLAME OWNERS FOR POOR SERVICES A group of managers of hotels in Musanze / Ruhengeri have stood up to their bosses when they denounced them for being responsible for the lack of top quality services, as tourist visitors expect to find when coming to see the mountain gorillas in Rwanda or else visit […]
Kenya conservation news – KWS and wildlife ministry launch new 10 year strategic plan for elephant conservation
KENYA LAUNCHES NEW ELEPHANT STRATEGY A regular conservation source in Nairobi confirmed that the long awaited 10 year plan of how the Kenya Wildlife Service intends to deal with elephant conservation over the next decade, has been released last weekend in the Kenyan capital. The Minister for Forestry and Wildlife Dr. Noah Wekesa officially presented […]
Seychelles tourism breaking news – More than half of the Costa Allegra passengers opt to stay in Seychelles for a few days
HALF OF COSTA ALLEGRA PASSENGERS OPT TO JOIN SEYCHELLES CARNIVAL It was learned overnight that when the disabled Costa Allegra will be towed into Victoria Harbour later today, more than half of the passengers will remain on the archipelago for a couple of days, courtesy of Costa Cruises, which has flown a team of staffers […]
Seychelles tourism breaking news – Cabinet reshuffle will create new Ministry of Tourism and Culture
SEYCHELLES TO GET MINISTRY OF TOURISM AND CULTURE A long practice in the Seychelles seems to be coming to an end, whereby the portfolio of tourism was held at top level of government, for several years by the former Vice President H.E. Joseph Belmont until his retirement from public service and then over the past […]
East Africa news – Cut fibre optic cables slow down internet traffic – may take weeks to restore full service levels
INTERNET TRAFFIC SERIOUSLY DISRUPTED AS CABLE CUT BY ANCHOR Information is gradually spreading about the seriousness of the current disruptions of internet traffic and the time frame it may require to bring it back to life, after operators, one should say as usual, initially stonewalled and downplayed the extent and failed to reveal the reasons […]
Zanzibar conservation news – More sea turtles released from Mnarani Marine Aquarium
TURTLE CONSERVATION GETS A BOOST IN ZANZIBAR (Picture of a Hawksbill turtle courtesy of http://www.ioseaturtles.org/species_overview.php) Information was received overnight that another batch of 25 tagged sea turtles has been released into the ocean off Zanzibar by the Mnarani Marine Aquarium. This brings the total number reared and released to over 170 since the programme commenced […]
Kenya tourism news – Sun Africa Hotels set to launch balloon operations at Keekorok, opening new tented camp in Naivasha
SUN AFRICA HOTELS SET TO LAUNCH OWN BALLOON OPERATION (Picture courtesy of Sun Africa Hotels) Sun Africa Hotels has announced that they will launch their own balloon operation from their Keekorok Safari Lodge in April under the name Balloon Adventure now that the final test flights have been concluded by the manufacturers and the equipment […]
Tanzania conservation news – FZS reiterates opposition to highway across the Serengeti
FRANKFURT ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY REITERATES OPPOSITION TO SERENGETI HIGHWAY A four day conservation workshop at the Seronera headquarters of the Serengeti National Park ended with both encouragement and praise for Tanzanias conservation efforts but also calls to stop any plans to build a highway across the parks sensitive migration routes. Frankfurt Zoological Societys Director Dr. Christoph […]
Costa Allegra adrift in Seychelles waters – Search and Rescue mission by Seychelles Coast Guard underway
COSTA ALLEGRA ADRIFT IN SEYCHELLES WATERS The Seychelles coast guard is presently mounting a support and rescue operation for Italian cruiseliner Costa Allegra, a ship from the same operators as the recently sunk Costa Concordia, which reportedly got disabled at sea after successfully fighting a fire in the engine room. The incident happened near the […]
Weekly roundup of news from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean islands, Fourth edition February 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 […]
Living with Wildlife – Ol Pejeta breaks new ground with gated estate at the boundary of the conservancy
LIVING WITH WILDLIFE – OL PEJETA BREAKS NEW GROUND When international wheeler dealer and notorious arms trader Adnan Kashoggi bought the then 160.000 acre Ol Pejeta estate outside Nanyuki on the Laikipia plains in the 1970s, it was to ranch cattle and create a private retreat where the Happy Valley Days of yesteryear were being […]
Rwanda tourism news – Nyamasheke District set to develop tourism development plan
NYUNGWE AND CONGO NILE TRAIL TO BENEFIT FROM DISTRICT TOURISM PROMOTION Nyamasheke District, into which theNyungwe Forest National Park (see a related previous article on this via www.wolfganghthome.wordpress.com/2011/07/26/rwanda-conservation-news-a-visit-to-the-enchanted-nyungwe-forest-national-park/ ) and sections of the Congo Nile Trail fall, will embark on its own dedicated tourism promotion efforts with the launch of a district tourism development plan. […]
African aviation news – ICAO meeting for Africa and Indian Ocean islands set for Kampala
ICAO TO HOLD REGIONAL MEETING IN KAMPALA A source from Ugandas civil aviation authority has confirmed that ICAO will hold a meeting for Africa and the Indian Ocean islands in Kampala between March 26th to 30th. The 18th such meeting of the Africa Indian Ocean Regional Planning and Implementation Group, in short APIRG, will alongside […]
Kenya conservation news – Mbulia Conservancy launched on Tsavo West boundary
NEW 11.000 ACRES CONSERVANCY LAUNCHED AT TSAVO WEST BOUNDARIES The Mbulia Group Ranch, located along the boundaries of Tsavo West National Park, has recently signed a long term agreement with New African Territories to turn 11.400 acres of their land into a wildlife conservancy on which a new tented eco lodge is being set up […]
Kenya tourism news – Stakeholders demand announcement of election date
KENYAS TOURISM INDUSTRY DEMANDS CLARITY ON ELECTION DATES Leading stakeholders in Kenyas tourism industry are getting more vocal now about the governments dragging out the announcement of an election date, due to be held later this year. Following the collapse of tourism in the wake of the post election violence in early 2008 have in […]
Rwanda tourism news – RDB promotes improved customer care for hotels and restaurants
RDB TOURISM & CONSERVATION PROMOTES INCREASED CUSTOMER CARE Information was received overnight that the Rwanda Development Boards Tourism and Conservation Department has partnered with the hospitality industry to promote better customer care and service delivery across a broad section of hotels, lodges and restaurants. 20 participants were drawn from the Quality and Standards Task Force […]
East African aviation update – Emirates to deploy the A380 for connecting passengers to Amsterdam from August 2012
EMIRATES UPS AMSTERDAM TO A380 A regular source at the airlines Kampala office has confirmed that come August this year, Emirates will begin to operate their route from Dubai to Amsterdam with a daily A 380 flight, compared to the present use of a B777. Launched only 9 months ago, the shift to the largest […]
Tanzania aviation news – Precision Air and Kenya Airways add 5th daily flight between Dar and Nairobi
PRECISION AIR / KENYA AIRWAYS PARTNERSHIP BENEFITS PUBLIC WITH MORE FLIGHTS The intense partnership and schedule coordination between Tanzanias leading airline Precision Air and regional giant Kenya Airways has now resulted in a 5th daily flight being introduced on the route between Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, giving passengers an added choice of departure. Precision […]
Kenya tourism news – Damian Cook to host e-Tourism conference in Nairobi next month
NAIROBI TO HOST E-TOURISM CONFERENCE IN MARCH Kenyas capital city has once again been chosen to host a major continental tourism conference in March this year. E-tourism guru Damian Cook will be leading the field of global e-tourism experts who will come to Kenya to help transform the sectors approach to the new media and […]
Rwanda gets provisional nod from AU for UNSC non permanent seat
RWANDA GETS AU BACKING TO TAKE OVER AT UNSC AS NON PERMANENT MEMBER Rwandas contributions to UN peace keeping missions in Darfur and the long term deployment of police contingents in Haiti have earned Rwanda the respect of fellow AU member countries, which have now reciprocated to give provisional clearance for Rwanda to step into […]
Rwanda aviation news – No mid year delivery for new regional jets as RwandAir extends time frame to late 2012
RWANDAIRS DECISION ON NEW JETS POSTPONED TILL LATER IN THE YEAR It was learned from a regular source in Kigali, that the anticipated delivery of two brand new regional jets in the 100 seat range will be delayed until later in the year. Two aircraft manufacturers are said to be in the running for the […]
Tanzanian minister disowns vehicle entrance fees charged at borders with Kenya
TANZANIAS NEW CROSS BORDER VEHICLE FEES DISOWNED BY GOVERNMENT Information from Dar es Salaam overnight confirmed that the Minister for East African Cooperation Mr. Samuel Sitta, has denounced the introduction of a US D 200 border crossing vehicle fee 10 days ago as not sanctioned by government, saying it was a unilateral and unauthorized decision […]
African aviation breaking news – Kenya Airways and Sky Team launch ‘Africa Air Pass’
KENYA AIRWAYS AND SKY TEAM PARTNERS LAUNCH GO AFRICA AIRPASS Sky Team has announced the introduction of a comprehensive air pass for flights into and across Africa, based on the scheduled network of partner airline Kenya Airways via Nairobi. It is available for sale with immediate effect and flights booked can commence as of March […]
Brussels Airlines set to launch Korongo Airlines from Lubumbashi
BRUSSELS AIRLINES TO LAUNCH NEW AIRLINE IN CONGO Information was confirmed by a source from Brussels Airlines that the Belgian flag carrier will launch flight operations in Congo through a new airline, 70 percent owned by SN with the balance of shares held by Congolese investors. Korongo Airlines, operating under IATA two letter code ZC, […]
